Leeds United handed fine by FA after Derby County title celebrations

Leeds United have been handed a £20,000 fine by the Football Association following their title-winning celebrations at Pride Park.

The Whites travelled to Derby County in the Championship in mid-July having wrapped up the league title without kicking a ball ahead of the Sunday afternoon fixture.

Defeat for fellow promotion chasers West Brom ensured a return to the top flight for Leeds after a 16-year exile before Brentford later lost that same weekend to hand United the second division trophy.

Marcelo Bielsa's side ended up 3-1 winners over the Rams and celebrated on pitch post-match despite the game being played behind closed doors.

The Leeds squad could be seen using pyrotechnics, which led to an initial charge from the governing body after the club admitted a breach of rules.

As a result Leeds have now been fined and warned over their future conduct.

An FA statement said: "Leeds United has been fined £20,000 and warned as to its future conduct after admitting a breach of FA Rule E20.

"The club failed to ensure that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion as pyrotechnic devices were used following the completion of a fixture against Derby County FC in the EFL Championship on 19 July 2020."

United wrote to the FA on July 28 in response to the initial charge admitting the offence: “We have spoken to the players and backroom staff at length regarding the use of pyrotechnics on the pitch during the celebrations at the end of the game.

"We will be conducting an internal investigation to find those responsible and ensure they are disciplined and educated on the dangers of using such devices.

"We have written to Derby County to apologise for the incident and we can assure you that additional checks and searches have been put in place, starting with the proceeding fixture against Charlton Athletic to which you will note that no further incidents occurred."

Leeds say they have now written individually to staff members and players over the incident and have issued an apology to the FA over the matter.