Do fines teach clubs a lesson?

Youstolemyname · 27 Mar 2006 at 11:21

Everton were fined 25k after the derby on saturday after eight of their players received yellow cards. Chelsea are currently fighting an FA charge. But my question is, are the fines imposed really worth it?

Lower down the leagues a fine could be crippling for a club. But 25k isn't a week's wages for most Premiership players. And to a club of Chelsea's financial stature it is hardly a serious repremand.

Surely a points docking system, or larger fines, would be a better way to teach the clubs a lesson?

Greenlizard0 · 27 Mar 2006 at 11:27

Youstolemyname said:
Everton were fined 25k after the derby on saturday after eight of their players received yellow cards. Chelsea are currently fighting an FA charge. But my question is, are the fines imposed really worth it?

Lower down the leagues a fine could be crippling for a club. But 25k isn't a week's wages for most Premiership players. And to a club of Chelsea's financial stature it is hardly a serious repremand.

Surely a points docking system, or larger fines, would be a better way to teach the clubs a lesson?

Exactly. I remember the absolute farce of fining Rivaldo 4000 euro's or something. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he earns that in interest per month!

To a club like Chelsea it won't matter at all. And to be honest if one of their players gets banned then they've got their giant squad to fill a gap. I think points deductions would be a great idea but only for severe punishments.

E.g. Fulham & Chelsea for the crowd trouble. And chelsea for Drogba admitting that he's a cheating ho.

JohnnyG · 27 Mar 2006 at 12:27

Youstolemyname said:
Chelsea are currently fighting an FA charge...
...And to a club of Chelsea's financial stature it is hardly a serious repremand.

The charge Chelsea are facing carries a maximum fine of £250k. Chelsea are aiming to run the club as a profitable business, RA isn't going to just drop the cash off to the FA in a brown envelope, so of course it's a penalty. The smaller fines, 600 euros I think that Spanish club got for racist chants etc. are pointless to big clubs so maybe some sort of means related fines might be fairer.

greenlizard0 said:
And to be honest if one of their players gets banned then they've got their giant squad to fill a gap. I think points deductions would be a great idea but only for severe punishments.
And chelsea for Drogba admitting that he's a cheating ho.

Our squad is smaller than Man.U. & Arsenal, of course we'd miss players.
You can't punish the rest of the team & the fans for 1 player being a nob

punky_munky · 27 Mar 2006 at 12:57

I think the current system is very poor. If it's a problem with the club then it should be a points deduction as that is a leveler, it affects a rich team as much as it affects a poor team.

If the fines are aimed at individual players then perhaps a percentage of their wage would be fairer.

What does the money get spent on anyway? FA buffets?

Youstolemyname · 27 Mar 2006 at 13:24

What would hurt a club more? A 6 point deduction or a monetary fine?

Depends on where the club is. I think it would be a much stronger deterrent if points were deducted if the offence was severe enough.

Sure, Chelsea are trying to run the club as a business but a point deduction would hurt them, and most other Premiership clubs, far more than a 250k fine.

NokkonWud · 27 Mar 2006 at 13:31

greenlizard0 said:
And chelsea for Drogba admitting that he's a cheating ho.

Chelsea fans are boing him now also. Nice to see.

Tasocahtfu · 27 Mar 2006 at 17:59

NokkonWud said:
Chelsea fans are boing him now also. Nice to see.

\o/

Greenlizard0 · 28 Mar 2006 at 14:25

JohnnyG said:
Our squad is smaller than Man.U. & Arsenal, of course we'd miss players.

What i'm trying to say is that you've essentially got a squad of much higher quality than manu/arsenal. Thus when one player gets suspended, than another world class player can step in.

E.g. when our (Arsenal) first choice left or right back get's injured we either have to put players in out of position, or use somebody from a youth squad.

el_dazza · 28 Mar 2006 at 14:41

I can just imagine david O RLY? fighting a fine if villa ever picked up one
"moy boys did nut'n wrong, dey're a bunch of honest lads, dere's good team spirit in dere"..
Sorry, thats a mini rant, i want him out. Now

Back on topic, i really dont think £25k/£50k fines are that much of a worry to big clubs. Even in the championship most clubs would be kicked in the teeth if they had any fine that big imposed on them. Make it half a million, then they'll think twice about doing it.

mcdermos · 28 Mar 2006 at 15:20

Post game punishments like points reductions aren't the solution as its likely the team who have suffered due to another teams cheating get no benefit. This is just the medias current theme that will pass the minute something else comes along.

The problem with fines is I doubt you can have a scale that goes up just because a club has a rich owner. Lawyers I suspect would have a field day with that sort of situation.

I still feel these things balance themselves out over an entire season.

HangTime · 28 Mar 2006 at 18:26

Only fines I can think of in recent times which would have had a serious impact was Arsenal's punishment for the Battle of Old Trafford and, somewhat suprisingly, the fallout from the Ashley Cole tapping-up affair. However IIRC the latter fines were reduced on appeal anyway.