FA issue fine to Sheffield United ahead of play-off final v Sunderland
Sheffield United have been hit with an FA-imposed fine ahead of their Wembley clash with Sunderland.
The days are counting down until the biggest game of the season, when Sunderland face Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley.
Tension is already high on Wearside as expected, and issues are already emerging from the Blades’ point of view, after the Sheffield United X account was hacked for a brief period of time.
However, they’re latest setback comes in the form of the FA, with Chris Wilder‘s side facing a fine for an incident earlier in the season.
Sheffield United fined for incident v Plymouth
Sunderland and Sheffield United had very different ends to the season, The Wearsiders were left with nothing to play for after securing a fourth-place finish with weeks to go, while the Blades were still chasing automatic promotion up until the final few games of the season.
However, because of the stakes involved, things got a little bit intense for Wilder’s side in their defeat to Plymouth Argyle, with a mass confrontation occurring after the full-time whistle.
| Team | Position | Goal Difference | Points |
| Sheffield United | 3 | 27 | 90 |
| Sunderland | 4 | 14 | 76 |
Wilder was pictured having an argument with some of the Argyle players, sparking several of his players into action, though it has come at a cost.
Via a statement on the FA website (20 May), it has been confirmed that the Blades have been fined £180,000 for their involvement in the incident, and Argyle have been fined £7,500.
The statement reads: “It was alleged that Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield United failed to ensure their players and/or technical area staff did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the tunnel area after the final whistle.”
Sunderland need to be at their best v Sheffield United
Sunderland have already done it once this season, but their objective for Saturday is clear: beat the Blades.
With promotion on the line, it would be a huge disappointment to see the Black Cats miss out after such a promising campaign, ahead of what promises to be an electric weekend in the capital.
Regis Le Bris will have some big decisions to make on his team selection, and those picked to start at Wembley will be fully aware of the need for them to perform.