Chris Davies must act quickly as Birmingham City suffer ‘very concerning’ blow

Birmingham City have been fined by the Football Association for failing to control their players away at Bolton Wanderers earlier this month.

Blues were involved in a melee during second-half stoppage time of the 3-1 loss at Toughsheet Community Stadium on March 4. Tensions flared as Chris Davies’ side were on the verge of their first loss in 19 matches, frustrated having let a 1-0 lead slip through their fingers.

Once things had calmed down, two Birmingham players - Christoph Klarer and Luke Harris - received yellow cards from the referee, while three of Bolton’s players - Chris Forino, George Johnston and Jordi Osei-Tutu - were also booked.

The yellows weren’t seen as sufficient punishment as the FA launched an investigation into the incident, alleging neither club’s players acted in an appropriate manner during the mass confrontation. The inquiry has now been completed and Birmingham have been fined £12,500 in their third breach of the season, whereas Bolton have been asked to pay £2,500 in what is their first.

The FA’s statement explained: “It was alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 95th minute. Bolton Wanderers accepted the standard penalty, and Birmingham City were fined by an independent Regulatory Commission following a hearing.”

Chris Davies must act fast to avoid Birmingham City repeat

The official written explanation from the FA mentioned the governing body was “very concerned this was the third proven charge against Birmingham in less than six months”. That’s a worry that Blues boss Davies will share, too, as he will want to avoid future punishments for the club.

Maintaining strong discipline has been one of Davies’ non-negotiables ever since he came through the doors at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, though perhaps not specifically in an emotional sense. The head coach outlined in his very first interview, for instance, that he wanted Blues to work harder than any other side in League One to execute his desired high-energy, attacking style of football.

“Number one is to be the hardest working team,” Davies told Blues TV when asked about the pillars of his philosophy. “You need a lot of discipline. To never have an easy day during the week, with pressure on all the time so that, when it comes to matchday, dealing with pressure becomes second nature.”

Now nine months into the job, Davies has got Birmingham firing on all cylinders to hold a nine-point lead over Wrexham at the summit of League One. It appears Blues will be returning to the Championship at the first time of asking and next season will in turn be when the real work begins, so Davies must get a grip of the discipline issue before it’s too late.

Of course, winning is still possible with bookings, sending-offs and fines, but revoking improper behaviour can help players maintain control and focus. Every little helps, they say, and getting these boxes ticked could help Blues upon their return to the second flight.

Meanwhile, Birmingham World has ranked Blues’ five best kits of the 2010s.