Premier League club at risk of FA investigation again after Newcastle United, Leeds & Man Utd incidents

An incident which saw Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson hit by an object thrown from the stands during The Magpies’ 8-0 win over The Blades in September was investigated by the Football Association, though the club are yet to be charged.

Anderson said after the incident: “It was after Sven [Botman] scored, just running over I looked into the ground and saw it coming. It hit me in the knee but there’s not much more I can do with than just leave it to other people.”

On Saturday, a number of pitch incursions occurred during Sheffield United’s 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United. One supporter confronted Man United players Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho during the match, causing a second-half delay.

At the final whistle, two more supporters made their way onto the pitch with one appearing to take selfies with Man United players.

The incidents are likely to be investigated by the FA once again for potentially breaching FA rule E21 which dictates that clubs must ensure that “spectators and/or its supporters (and anyone purporting to be its supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion whilst attending any match” and do not “use words or otherwise behave in a way which is improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative.”

Pitch incursions are also viewed as a criminal offence with Leeds United recently charged by the FA and a supporter arrested for an incident that took place against Newcastle last season.

Leeds fan David Derbyshire, was given a 12-week prison sentence and a six-year football banning order at Leeds Magistrates Court on Friday, September 8.

On Monday, an FA statement read: “Leeds United have been fined £40,000, with £20,000 suspended until the end of the 2024/25 season, and warned as to their future conduct for breaching FA Rule E21.1 at the Premier League game involving Newcastle United on Saturday 13 May 2023.

“Leeds United admitted that they failed to ensure their spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don’t use words or behaviour which are improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, insulting or provocative.”

After Sheffield United’s defeat on Saturday, manager Paul Heckingbottom hit out at the supporters involved in the pitch incursion at Bramall Lane.

“We don’t want to see that,” he said. “It concerns me because we’re at work. You have heard me speak about this before. I don’t want our fans to be part of that.

“We want the passion, we want the joy, the intent, the noise, we want that. It looked like the majority after from what I could see were Manchester United fans trying to take selfies with them, but it’s not always going to be that, is it? It shouldn’t be that easy.

“There should be no intent to go on the pitch whatsoever. We know the rules about it and the changes and there will probably be those enforced now.”