Town have been fined £24,000 and given a warning by an independent FA Regulatory Commission for the mass confrontation following the Blues’ late penalty at Birmingham City, who have been fined £100,000, on the opening day of the season.

The two clubs were charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 for the incident in the aftermath of George Hirst’s penalty which levelled the match at 1-1.

A scuffle took place between players of both sides as the Blues celebrated, while a Birmingham fan attacked Jack Taylor and tried to drag the midfielder into the crowd.

An FA statement reads: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Birmingham City and Ipswich Town for the mass confrontation at their EFL Championship fixture on Friday 8th August. 
 
“It was alleged that Birmingham City and Ipswich Town failed to ensure their players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 95th minute, and both clubs accepted the charge. 
 
“The Regulatory Commission imposed a £100,000 fine and warning upon Birmingham City and a £24,000 fine and warning on Ipswich Town following a hearing.”
 
Birmingham’s significantly higher fine - not far off the maximum figure of £250,000 - relates to the incident being the fifth involving the Midlanders over the last year. The St Andrew’s club previously faced action following games against Wrexham last September, Shrewsbury a month later, Bolton Wanderers in March and Cambridge United in May.

However, the commission found that the incident was triggered by Conor Chaplin kicking the ball into the crowd after Hirst had found the net.

“The incident of misconduct was triggered by a wholly unnecessary aggressive act by an ITFC player who kicked the ball with force into a crowd of BCFC spectators at close quarters,” the commission said in its written reasons, which can be found in full here.

“A BCFC fan was struck by the ball and was plainly upset by the incident. The ball can be seen to have been deflected by the supporter concerned as it rebounds quickly as seen on the footage.

“Indeed the supporter accepts that fortunately he was able to stop the momentum of the ball significantly by use of his hands. This is an aggravating factor insofar as ITFC is concerned.

“The commission rejects the suggestion that this was an “accidental” incident. The incident involved reckless behaviour at the very least by an ITFC player.”

The commission accepted mitigating factors with regard to Town: “The club apologised at an early stage for the misconduct, a BCFC player initiated the on-field incident.

“This is limited mitigation in circumstances where that incident would not in all probability have occurred but for the actions of the ITFC player in kicking the ball into the crowd.

“Some members of ITFC playing staff tried to defuse the situation and lesser numbers were involved in the misconduct itself and ITFC has no relevant similar misconduct since 2022 albeit this is therefore not an unblemished record.”


On Birmingham’s record of similar incidents, it adds: “The issue of repeated mass confrontations involving BCFC playing and/or other staff has been noted as a matter of concern by BCFC at board level and steps are being taken to speak to playing staff about this specific issue.”

In addition to the fines, both clubs have been formally warned regarding their future conduct.

Photo: Action Images

Tedray added 14:40 - Oct 7 Presumably Connor will pick up the tab for his stupidity.........
3

wischip added 14:46 - Oct 7 Any chance of a replay ?
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Goddyblue added 14:47 - Oct 7 Whilst i personally think BCFC got off with a lower fine than they should(considering their past record), i don't think we can have any complaints. What were you thinking Conner, definitely not our finest moment. Sooner Birmingham City and their fans leave the 1970/80's behind the better
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grow_our_own added 14:53 - Oct 7 "ITFC player who kicked the ball with force into a crowd...fortunately he was able to stop the momentum of the ball significantly by use of his hands" - presumably every team that shoots wide or over will now be fined by this rationale.
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Radlett_blue added 15:12 - Oct 7 Birmingham have history for this type of thing. I'm glad I wasn't at St Andrews when we lost the League Cup semi final in 2001.
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MrBeckinsale added 15:14 - Oct 7 "Birmingham’s significantly higher fine - not far off the maximum figure of £250,000" If they've been fined £100,000 - this is only 2/5 of the maximum figure they could've been fined, rather than 'not far off' it.
22

algarvefan added 16:20 - Oct 7 Radlett_blue I was there and it was the only time in all my years as a Town fan that I left the ground early, prior to the final whistle. The most hostile environment I have ever been in at a football ground, the stewards were obnoxious too.
4

Bluewhiteboy added 16:43 - Oct 7 Wishing - best comment on here in years. Bravo. Agree for once this seems fair outcome. Yes Connor should not have done it and certainly sparked it but as said brum overreaction, fan behavior and fact it happens regularly they fully deserved getting 4 x as much.
5

AlpineBlue added 17:20 - Oct 7 They're a scummy club. Always have been. The least successful and least classy club in the city. Usuallybin Derbies (except for.ours) I'll root for the underdog, but always love when Villa do them.
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Bert added 17:33 - Oct 7 From memory, it looked like Chaplin meant to kick the ball high in celebration but unfortunately it went like a rocket into the crowd. It’s football, it happens.
3

Bert added 17:35 - Oct 7 I would imagine that the club may be fined for the flare that was thrown on the pitch by an Idiot Saturday.
3

armchaircritic59 added 17:56 - Oct 7 Bert, in football as in life, the sane vast majority end up paying for the idiotic tiny minority.
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Carberry added 18:43 - Oct 7 Why are people marking down Grow Our Own? Ever heard of irony?
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Adelaideblue added 20:06 - Oct 7 Radlett_blue - you are most correct, I was at that game, horrible to lose - and the Brum fans on the way out of the city were pelting our car with coins....Cannot imagine what they would have done if they had lost!
1

EricGatesShinpad added 21:07 - Oct 7 Naughty boy Connor, now don't do it again..... Until the the next time we yank one out of the fire last minute! The Brummies deserved all they get.... Awful place, nasty people... I should know I lived and worked there long enough,...........
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EricGatesShinpad added 21:10 - Oct 7 Would I be wrong to say it was a great first touch from Connor ..... Bearing in mind I can remember seeing Mich D'avry trap the ball like that.....
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blues1 added 21:13 - Oct 7 Bert. Not just the flare neither. Some idiots threw coins on the pitch, and a small bottle. How whoever it was got that bottle into the ground i dont know. If the club do get fined, I hope the club can find the morons responsible and ban them for life. There's no place in football for that behaviour.
2

dirtydingusmagee added 21:32 - Oct 7 blues1 it was a small [miniture] bottle by the look of it , easily taken in . , i think a disposable lighter was handed in by ref too . IDIOTS
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armchaircritic59 added 23:41 - Oct 7 On reflection, fining Birmingham the " massive " amount of £100,000 is a joke. It's not even a slap on the wrist, barely a tap. Much better would have been to make them play a home league match or two behind closed doors. Might just drive a message home to a few of their idiot fans at least. I'm not tarring them all with the same brush, I'm sure they have plenty of decent ones too.

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