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Fight club! Villa fine Herd, Collins and Delph after trio are caught up in brawl
Tempers flare: Video footage shows Chris Herd (white shirt) being held back while James Collins stands in the background
Herd then moves back while Fabian Delph (foreground) tries to calm the situation down
Delph was dealt with more leniently having acted as peacemaker during the incident at 2.45am.
It heaps more embarrassment on the relegation-threatened club ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash against Tottenham at Villa Park on Sunday.
Drama: James Collins (right) and Chris Herd (left) were involved in a stand-off with members of the club's staff, while team-mate Fabien Delph is said to have acted as peacemaker in the incident
Fringe: Delph's career at Villa, since moving from Leeds United, has been blighted by injuries
Several players visited Gatecrasher club after a presentation evening at Villa Park.
The night ended in chaos, with Herd and Delph thrown out while Collins was involved in a stand-off with members of the club's staff.
Chief executive Paul Faulkner was livid at the players' conduct and contacted them to remind them of their responsibilities.
A Villa statement said: 'The club dealt with this matter internally on Tuesday and the players in question have been disciplined, with the fines being split between two charities the club are promoting at the game against Spurs on Sunday - Cure Leukaemia and Anthony Nolan.
'Our players attended the club’s end-of-season dinner on Monday night and training on Tuesday was limited to players who did not start in Saturday’s Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion and those not carrying injuries.
'As a club, players, management and fans are completely focused on Sunday's game against Spurs at Villa Park.'
Negative publicity regarding players is the last thing under-fire manager Alex McLeish needs before the game, during which Villa supporters are expected to protest loudly against his struggling regime.
SORRY ISN'T THE HARDEST WORD
JAMES COLLINS APOLOGY
'I'm sorry for what has happened and I take responsibility for my actions.
'It does not show me in a very good light and does not put the club in a very good light.
'I know I should not have been out in a club with my wife after the end-of-season dinner at that time in the morning and I was wrong to be in that position.
'It was a misunderstanding and was resolved quickly but I understand how it looks and I apologise for that.
'As a senior, experienced player, I understand I am in a position of responsibility.
'I let myself get into a position in which I didn’t act responsibly and I apologise for this.
'It was Monday night, it was early in the week, six days before we next play and I didn’t have training the next day.
'But I know I’ve let myself down, I’ve let the club down, I’ve let the manager down and most of all I’ve let down the fans of Aston Villa who have been great to me.
'We have a very important game of football on Sunday at Villa Park against Tottenham and I’m looking forward to giving my full commitment, as always, and securing three points.'
CHRIS HERD APOLOGY
'I would like to apologise for what happened on Monday night and I apologise for being out at that time. We had gone to a club after the end-of-season dinner with girlfriends and wives accompanying us.
'It was no one’s intention to get involved in any trouble but I realise that my actions on the night were not acceptable.
'Even if I felt at the time that the prior situation inside the nightclub had not been dealt with properly, I still should not have acted in the manner in which I did. I’m sorry to the fans and I’ll do everything I can to make it up to them as they have been fantastic since I’ve come into the team.
'I would also like to apologise to the club and my immediate aim is to help the team to finish the season strongly and to secure our position in the Premier League.'
FABIAN DELPH APOLOGY
'I'm sorry for being out on Monday night, the early hours of Tuesday morning and I apologise to the club, the fans, the chairman, the manager and my colleagues.
'I am injured, I won’t be fit again until pre-season and I probably thought that going out would not carry any consequences.
'I was sober, I was in control of my actions and I did try to calm down the situation. I didn’t hit out or strike anyone but I should not have been there and I was wrong to be in this position.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1ttZ064Xr
By NEIL MOXLEY and SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 17:03 EST, 3 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:51 EST, 4 May 2012
Aston Villa have disciplined three of their players after they were involved in a nightclub fracas just days before their most important game of the season.
The club led an inquiry into events during the early hours of Tuesday morning in which defender James Collins, 28, and midfielders Fabian Delph, 22, and Chris Herd, 23, were caught up in unsavoury scenes.
Scroll down for videoPUBLISHED: 17:03 EST, 3 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:51 EST, 4 May 2012
Aston Villa have disciplined three of their players after they were involved in a nightclub fracas just days before their most important game of the season.
The club led an inquiry into events during the early hours of Tuesday morning in which defender James Collins, 28, and midfielders Fabian Delph, 22, and Chris Herd, 23, were caught up in unsavoury scenes.
Tempers flare: Video footage shows Chris Herd (white shirt) being held back while James Collins stands in the backgroundHerd then moves back while Fabian Delph (foreground) tries to calm the situation downDelph was dealt with more leniently having acted as peacemaker during the incident at 2.45am.
It heaps more embarrassment on the relegation-threatened club ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash against Tottenham at Villa Park on Sunday.
Drama: James Collins (right) and Chris Herd (left) were involved in a stand-off with members of the club's staff, while team-mate Fabien Delph is said to have acted as peacemaker in the incident
Fringe: Delph's career at Villa, since moving from Leeds United, has been blighted by injuriesSeveral players visited Gatecrasher club after a presentation evening at Villa Park.
The night ended in chaos, with Herd and Delph thrown out while Collins was involved in a stand-off with members of the club's staff.
Chief executive Paul Faulkner was livid at the players' conduct and contacted them to remind them of their responsibilities.
A Villa statement said: 'The club dealt with this matter internally on Tuesday and the players in question have been disciplined, with the fines being split between two charities the club are promoting at the game against Spurs on Sunday - Cure Leukaemia and Anthony Nolan.
'Our players attended the club’s end-of-season dinner on Monday night and training on Tuesday was limited to players who did not start in Saturday’s Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion and those not carrying injuries.
'As a club, players, management and fans are completely focused on Sunday's game against Spurs at Villa Park.'
Negative publicity regarding players is the last thing under-fire manager Alex McLeish needs before the game, during which Villa supporters are expected to protest loudly against his struggling regime.
SORRY ISN'T THE HARDEST WORD
JAMES COLLINS APOLOGY
'I'm sorry for what has happened and I take responsibility for my actions.
'It does not show me in a very good light and does not put the club in a very good light.
'I know I should not have been out in a club with my wife after the end-of-season dinner at that time in the morning and I was wrong to be in that position.
'It was a misunderstanding and was resolved quickly but I understand how it looks and I apologise for that.
'As a senior, experienced player, I understand I am in a position of responsibility.
'I let myself get into a position in which I didn’t act responsibly and I apologise for this.
'It was Monday night, it was early in the week, six days before we next play and I didn’t have training the next day.
'But I know I’ve let myself down, I’ve let the club down, I’ve let the manager down and most of all I’ve let down the fans of Aston Villa who have been great to me.
'We have a very important game of football on Sunday at Villa Park against Tottenham and I’m looking forward to giving my full commitment, as always, and securing three points.'
CHRIS HERD APOLOGY
'I would like to apologise for what happened on Monday night and I apologise for being out at that time. We had gone to a club after the end-of-season dinner with girlfriends and wives accompanying us.
'It was no one’s intention to get involved in any trouble but I realise that my actions on the night were not acceptable.
'Even if I felt at the time that the prior situation inside the nightclub had not been dealt with properly, I still should not have acted in the manner in which I did. I’m sorry to the fans and I’ll do everything I can to make it up to them as they have been fantastic since I’ve come into the team.
'I would also like to apologise to the club and my immediate aim is to help the team to finish the season strongly and to secure our position in the Premier League.'
FABIAN DELPH APOLOGY
'I'm sorry for being out on Monday night, the early hours of Tuesday morning and I apologise to the club, the fans, the chairman, the manager and my colleagues.
'I am injured, I won’t be fit again until pre-season and I probably thought that going out would not carry any consequences.
'I was sober, I was in control of my actions and I did try to calm down the situation. I didn’t hit out or strike anyone but I should not have been there and I was wrong to be in this position.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1ttZ064Xr