NafisaLeeds United might encounter a penalty for their championship celebrations, according to a former FIFA official.
Daniel Farke’s team waited until the 91st minute of their last Championship match to score the goal that secured their title. Manor Solomon was the star at Home Park as Leeds triumphed over Plymouth Argyle in added time.
When Solomon’s curled shot hit the back of the net, the traveling Leeds supporters went wild. The Leeds coaching staff were just as thrilled, leaping from their seats and rushing onto the field to revel in the triumphant moment.
Police maintained a heavy presence around the pitch, but the former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official Keith Hackett asserts that the authorities will not be pleased with the celebrations. He believes the players’ actions will be noted.
“The authorities will not be happy with the subs running on the pitch,” Hackett said. “The matter will be reported, and a fine is on its way.”
There is no hint of how large the fine might be, but if Leeds had clinched the league at Elland Road, the situation could have differed. It is typical for home supporters to storm the pitch after a significant moment like Solomon’s late goal.
Had similar events occurred at Elland Road, Leeds might have faced a penalty akin to the £50,000 Portsmouth received for their title-winning pitch invasion last season. Nevertheless, Leeds would have had the resources to cover the cost with their promotion prize money.
“Usually we work off a general £120m for promotion, but that’s if you’ve not been in the league [over the previous three years] and have not been receiving parachute payments,” Dr Dan Plumley, sport finance lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, told Leeds Live.
“So if we come down a little bit from that, then it’s going to be a big boost, £70m or £80m. And that’s kind of consistent with a club like Leeds. The attendances have still been high in the Championship so they’ve been able to command fairly decent commercial deals. So really the swing for them is all in TV money.”
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