Leeds United set to be hit with Premier League fine after events at Craven Cottage
Leeds United could be on the receiving end of some more bad news after their defeat against Fulham over the weekend.
After defending valiantly away from home, the travelling supporters’ hearts were broken as Leeds lost 1-0 to a stoppage-time goal at Craven Cottage.
Gabriel Gudmundsson’s own goal earned the sympathy of Alan Shearer, but that would not have made the long trip back up to West Yorkshire from London any easier for the United supporters.
And things could be set to go from bad to worse for Leeds due to something that happened prior to the match.
This article contains an exclusive opinion from former FIFA referee Keith Hackett.
Leeds may face punishment for late arrival vs Fulham
Daniel Farke’s side’s preparations for the game were far from ideal, with reports suggesting that Leeds arrived 30 minutes late at Craven Cottage prior to kick-off.
As per Premier League rules, teams must arrive at a stadium at least 90 minutes before kick-off.
Former head of PGMOL Keith Hackett believes Leeds could therefore be punished unless they give a valid reason for turning up late.
“The planning that goes into the countdown to kick off is very carefully scheduled and agreed.
The aim is to link with the security arrangements of entry and egress to the stadium,” Hackett exclusively told MOT Leeds News.
“Leeds United will, of course, be asked to report on why they were delayed. The matter will be investigated by the Premier League.
“With pre-match television interviews, scheduled warm-ups, and the team sheet exchange one hour before kick off.
“If Leeds United fail to give a reason behind the delay, they may face a fine.”
Reflecting on his own personal experiences, Hackett said: “London can be very difficult, and I recall a game where I was officiating Queens Park Rangers. Due to a traffic accident on Bayswater Road, I had not moved in thirty minutes.
“I rang the club to advise them of my difficulty. Within 15 minutes, a policeman arrived, and my car was parked up on the pavement, and I was on the back of a police motorcycle dodging the traffic.
“At the conclusion of the match, my car was parked outside the ground, and my keys were handed to me.”
Late arrival not to blame for Leeds defeat
United did well not to let the circumstances affect them as they were comfortably the better side in the opening 45 minutes.
Unfortunately for Farke’s men, unlike in the Championship, where they’d dominate games for their entire duration, they have to make the most of the rare spells they are afforded.
There won’t be many occasions where Leeds are the better side for an entire half on the road throughout the entire season, and the Whites always ran the risk of returning to Elland Road empty-handed whilst the score was 0-0.
Although Gudmundsson’s own goal was unfortunate, Fulham grew into the game late on and looked the more likely of the two sides to score as Leeds failed to capitalise while they were in the ascendancy.
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