Preston North End fined £40,000 by the FA for Chelsea and Huddersfield Town crowd chants

The FA have fined Preston North End and ordered the club to implement an action plan, after misconduct - in relation to crowd control - at two games last season.

Those fixtures were the Championship game at Huddersfield Town, on Tuesday 12 December and FA Cup clash at Chelsea, on Saturday 6 January. During the Terriers clash, PNE admitted that they failed to ensure the following:

‘Their spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion; and don’t use words or behave in an improper and/or offensive and/or abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting way with an express or implied reference to gender and/or sexual orientation in the third minute of the EFL Championship game.

For that, an independent Regulatory Commission fined North End £10,000. The fine for the Chelsea incident, meanwhile, totalled £30,000. Written reasons for both can be read on the FA website. At Stamford Bridge, PNE admitted that they failed to ensure:

- Their spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don’t use words or behave in an improper and/or offensive and/or abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting way with an express or implied reference to sexual orientation in the 42nd minute of the FA Cup tie.

After the Chelsea encounter, PNE released a statement saying: 'We are aware of reports of inappropriate chanting by a minority of away supporters at Stamford Bridge on 6th January 2024. We would like to make it clear that inappropriate chanting will not be tolerated and any supporters who are found guilty of doing so may face disciplinary action. If any specific incidents are brought to our attention, we will always thoroughly investigate and take action against any supporter who is identified as having committed an offence.’