Savage fine for using ref’s toilet

The Football Association yesterday found the Birmingham City midfielder guilty of improper conduct.

Savage, a Welsh international, was punished after an FA disciplinary hearing investigated an incident in which he used the referee Graham Poll’s toilet before the Premiership game between his former club Leicester and Aston Villa on 20 April.

Savage was reprimanded, warned as to his future conduct and fined 10,000 - and he must also pay the costs of the hearing. Savage, who has refused to comment on the fine, had angered Poll by using the toilet in the officials’ room ahead of the 2-2 draw at Filbert Street without permission.

Poll was incensed by the actions of Savage and reported his antics to the FA after the midfielder broke a rule which says a player cannot enter the referee’s dressing room without permission.

Leicester conducted their own investigation into his behaviour and fined him two weeks’ wages. Savage had claimed, however, he was suffering from a stomach complaint and was forced to use the nearest available facility.

Muzzy Izzet, Savage’s former Leicester team-mate, had branded the club "stupid" and "ludicrous" for imposing the original fine.

The Turk claimed the Foxes players were "not happy" with the treatment dished out to Savage by City chairman Martin George and the board who instigated the punishment.

He said at the time: "It is absolutely ludicrous that the club fined Robbie Savage two weeks’ wages for using the referee’s toilet before the Villa game.

"Robbie is not happy about it and the rest of the players are not happy about it. The facts are that Robbie was suffering from an infection in his leg for which the club had prescribed medication which can sometimes lead to stomach upsets.

"That is what happened in this case and, after the warm-up against Villa, Robbie needed to use the toilet. We have only two in our dressing room and both were in use so Robbie went to the nearest one he could find - in the match officials’ dressing room.

"I’d have done exactly the same thing if I was feeling the way Robbie was feeling - and so would any of the other players."

"To fine him two weeks’ wages is just stupid. The club prescribed the medication and the club fined him. Where is the logic in that? Players are fined less for doing far more and I hope he wins his appeal. The players are right behind him."

Former Rangers winger Andrei Kanchelskis has been offered the chance to revive his career at Southampton. Kanchelskis, 33, will begin a week’s trial at the St Mary’s Stadium on Monday with a view to completing a free transfer move to Saints.

Kanchelskis was released by Rangers at the end of last season after four years at Ibrox.

Former Bayern Munich captain Stefan Effenberg has signed a one-year contract with VfL Wolfsburg in his homeland after turning down the chance to join Austria Vienna.