Watford captain Troy Deeney fined £20,000 by FA after claiming referee 'bottled it'

Deeney has been fined for his comments, but avoided a ban
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Watford captain Troy Deeney has been fined £20,000 by the Football Association following his post-match comments about the referee after his side’s 3-3 draw with Bournemouth.

The striker criticised referee David Coote after the match on January 2 and was charged by the FA eight days later.

Speaking on Match of the Day after the game with Bournemouth, Deeney said: "Doucoure probably did get lucky [not to be sent off], but you can't tell me that their boy [Gosling] did not try to do Tom Cleverley.

"They know it. We know. But the referee bottled it on a few occasions."

Deeney accepted the FA charge that his comments relating to the referee were improper in that they questioned the match official’s integrity.

The 30-year-old has been fined £20,000 as punishment for the incident following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today.

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