Arsenal have been fined £65,000 by the English FA after their players surrounded the referee over Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card in their 1-0 win to Wolves in the Premier League on January 25.
The charge was related to the reaction of Arsenal players when the referee Michael Oliver issued the 18-year-old a straight red card in the 43rd minute for a foul on Matt Doherty. Several players surrounded Oliver in protest, leading to an FA charge for improper conduct.
The FA, in an official statement, confirmed the club had admitted the charge and an independent Regulatory Commission had issued the fine. “On occasion there were nine AFC players extremely close to the referee,” the FA added, rejecting any mitigation despite the red card being reversed on appeal.
In response, Arsenal said that the players had not been threatening or abusive, but the F.A. described that conduct as beyond the pale.
The card decision was later overturned but now Arsenal have been punished for their response, an indication of the FAs ongoing campaign against players’ treatment of match officials.
