City fined £5,000 after admitting FA charge for Millers’ melee

Norwich City and Rotherham United have each been fined £5,000 after admitting an FA charge of failing to ensure ‘their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion’ following a melee sparked by Angus MacDonald’s red card tackle on Olly Skipp.

The two clubs admitted a breach of FA rule E20 and accepted the standard penalty following the second half flashpoint in Norwich’s 2-1 comeback Championship win at Rotherham on October 17.

The FA released a statement on Friday evening confirming the punishment, which read: ‘Rotherham United FC and Norwich City FC have been fined £5,000 each after admitting a charge for a breach of FA Rule E20 and accepting the standard penalty.

‘Both clubs failed to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during an EFL Championship fixture on Saturday October 17 2020.’

MacDonald’s lunging challenge on Skipp in front of the home dugout sparked a melee involving players from both sides, before MacDonald was shown a straight red card.

Canaries’ chief Daniel Farke was incensed by MacDonald’s challenge on the Tottenham loanee, and feared Skipp’s career might have been ended.

“I don’t want to speak in a bad, negative way. That is not my style,” said Farke. “I hope and I think there was no bad intention. It was an horrendous scene.

“I feared it was the end of Olly Skipp’s loan spell. Perhaps the end of his career. If I am honest I was surprised that he could play further on.

“I can understand on the pitch the emotions and a rush of blood. I don’t want my players complaining about tackles but you also have to make sure you don’t risk the health of players.

“There is a line and this tackle was over the line for me. I am not saying he had any bad intention. It looked unbelievably dangerous because it was a tackle full of speed.”