Birmingham City are facing the prospect of another substantial fine from The Football Association after being charged for their involvement in a 'mass confrontation' with Portsmouth during the final day of the Championship season.
Incident Details
The heated exchange occurred in the second half at Fratton Park, triggered by Adrian Segecic's attempt to score when Birmingham believed Portsmouth should have returned the ball after it was kicked out for a player to receive treatment. Blues' on-loan goalkeeper James Beadle reacted angrily to Segecic's shot, leading to both sets of players becoming involved. Referee John Brooks booked Segecic and Blues right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel before play resumed.
Manager Reactions
Blues boss Chris Davies criticised the incident, stating: 'You can't do that. That's wrong. They say we left the ball but if it had gone in there would have been uproar and rightly so.' He added that any of his players doing the same would face criticism as it goes against the spirit of the game.
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho offered a different perspective, explaining that with a Birmingham player down and possession turned over, the game was not stopped as it was not a head injury. He noted that Birmingham chose not to put the ball out during a dangerous attack, and after the game died down, the referee stopped play. Mousinho argued that Segecic was within his rights to shoot, calling the response an 'absolute disgrace' and criticising the referee's handling of the situation.
FA Charges
The FA has now charged both clubs, requiring responses by the close of play on Tuesday 12 May. An FA spokesperson confirmed: 'Portsmouth and Birmingham City have been charged following the mass confrontation at their EFL Championship fixture on Saturday 2 May. It's alleged both clubs failed to ensure their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 80th minute of the game.'
Previous Offences
This is not the first time Birmingham City have faced such action. The club has been fined on six occasions in the last two seasons, including a £115,000 fine after a similar incident against Hull City in October. Under Davies' tenure, Blues have been involved in confrontations with Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Bolton, Cambridge United, Ipswich Town, and Hull.
