Leeds United have been fined half a million pounds for delaying the start of matches and second halves in nine Premier League games this season.
The league said it had “entered into a sanction agreement” with the Whites after they accepted causing delays to home games against Everton, Newcastle and Fulham, as well as matches at Fulham, Burnley, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Brentford.
For that they have been fined £530,000.
Like so much of modern football, the rules are designed to cater for broadcasters both in this country and abroad who pay billions of pounds to screen Premier League matches live by giving them certainty over how long they have for advertising breaks. It is the television coverage which makes England’s top flight comfortably the richest domestic league in world football.
As the Premier League put it: “Rules relating to kick-offs and re-starts help ensure the organisation of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard, while providing certainty to fans and participating clubs. It also ensures the broadcast of every Premier League match is kept to schedule.
“The club has accepted and apologised for the breaches and confirmed that improvement in respect of Rule L.33 has become a key objective for the club, with staff and players working hard towards improving compliance.”
Manager Daniel Farke, a loquacious figure in pre- and post-match press conferences, will have to keep his teamtalks tighter in the remaining eight league matches of the season.