West Brom learn punishment for Wolves FA Cup crowd trouble as official statement emerges
West Brom have been given a £30,000 fine by the FA following crowd trouble in their FA Cup match against local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.
The FA’s official spokesperson account posted on X (23 July) to confirm the magnitude of the Baggies’ fine for the incident on 28 January, which saw the fourth-round tie temporarily halted for 38 minutes.
The match in question was the first Black Country Derby since 2021, and first with fans since 2012, and saw trouble between supporters spill out onto the pitch in the 78th minute as the referee stopped play.
Albion responded to the charge with an official statement on their website [23 July], saying they had admitted breaches of FA Rule E21.1 and E21.2 and had banned over 40 of the supporters involved.
West Brom must avoid crowd trouble distractions next season
Although the hostile atmosphere between Albion and Wolves in January’s match was the culmination of 12 years of build-up between the fans of the two bitter rivals, its fallout was an unwelcome distraction.
Few matches across the entirety of English football resembled more of a powder keg than a Black Country derby FA Cup tie, but that cannot alleviate for the unacceptable scenes on show at the Hawthorns.
While a £30,000 fine is small change for football clubs in the modern era, the Baggies must take care to avoid similar incidents from taking place again, or risk building an unwanted reputation with the FA.
Particularly as they prepare for another shot at promotion to the Premier League – and the prospect of facing Wolves again the season after – Albion cannot risk being back in front of an FA panel in 2025.
Facing their biggest rivals in a league match having been promoted back to the top-flight should be a cause for celebration at The Hawthorns, rather than a cause of the club’s finances taking a hit.
In other West Brom news, one of Albion’s star midfielders in on the verge of leaving The Hawthorns this summer.
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