Premier League
Premier League stand. Credit: Imago
Leeds United have a difficult game on Saturday, as they face Brentford at Elland Road. The Whites will be looking for a huge result that can give them breathing space near the bottom of the table.
Daniel Farke’s men have been able to keep themselves out of danger since slipping into the relegation zone for a short time near the end of last year. Leeds sit in 15th place, but are just three points above the relegation zone. So it has been a really frustrating couple of weeks at the club after picking up just one point in their last three games. The pressure is on, and a result is needed this weekend to boost any hopes of survival.
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Leeds United fined by Premier League for rule breaches
Unfortunate news for Leeds this week, as the Premier League confirmed that the club have been sanctioned. The Whites have been hit with fines of £500,000 for late kickoffs and restarts. The league has confirmed a ‘sanction agreement’ between themselves and the Leeds, after the club breached Rule L.33 nine times this season in relation to kick-offs and half-time restarts.
The agreement states that Leeds United ‘accepted’ causing delays to the kick off prior to a match and/or the restart of the interval without good reason for nine separate games. These games include trips away to Fulham, Burnley, Brighton and Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Brentford. Home games against Everton, Newcastle United and Fulham are also part of the stated occasions.
The Premier League has decided to crack down on these incidents this season: “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.”
READ MORE: Premier League issues key announcement ahead of Leeds United v Brentford clash
Leeds to pay £500,000 in fines for breaches
The delays the Whites accepted responsibility for were between one minute 17 seconds and two minutes 50 seconds. This includes the Everton home game and away days at Brighton and Forest, Leeds caused delays to both kick-off and the restart.
Each delay to kick off or half-time restarts carries a financial penalty. This starts at £10,000 for first offences and progresses to £100,000 for the eighth transgression. Fines due after the game against Fulham at Elland Road was delayed by just under 90 seconds, and amounted to £530,000 in total. The Premier League’s agreement with Leeds states that the will be fined £100,000 for any further delay to kick-off or restarts of between a minute and one minute 30 seconds.
Delays over 90 seconds, will earn a £130,000 fine. Delays in excess of two minutes will carry a £170,000 fine. And there will be additional cumulative sums of £20,000 for each successive breach, on top of the fines set out previously, though caps of £200,000 and £250,000 will be applied to fines for delays of up to two minutes and 30 seconds and in excess of two minutes 30 seconds respectively.