Villa duo fined £100k each over drunken shame

Boozers Richard Dunne and James Collins were fined £100,000 each last night - but Aston Villa’s bid to dock them even more cash was foiled by player power.

Villa’s Irish stopper Dunne and his Welsh defensive partner Collins accepted the fines, totaling two-weeks’ salary, after the intervention of the PFA.

It followed frantic negotiations after Villa’s disciplinary panel wanted the pair fined four to six weeks’ money for bringing the club into disrepute.

A compromise was reached over Dunne and Collins’ antics on a club trip after the intervention of PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor.

Taylor also met Villa boss Gerard Houllier and assistants Gary McAllister and Gordon Cowans this week at Old Trafford for crisis talks.

And with Houllier’s team in a relegation battle, Villa have not risked an on-going legal row with Dunne and Collins, who earn £53,000 and £45,000-a-week respectively.

Houllier, whose side host Wolves tomorrow, explained: “Richard Dunne and James Collins have been disciplined. The club has dealt with the incident strongly and quickly. It is a matter of fines and has also been dealt with by the PFA. The players have quickly apologised privately and publicly.

“Now we move on to the main target which is the Wolverhampton game because that is what really matters.”

Players’ union supremo Taylor himself added: “The PFA were involved and it’s a situation that’s been resolved and accepted.”

Houllier left the job of quizzing and punishing the pair to the club’s in-house lawyer and human resources department.

Villa were furious Dunne, 31, and Collins, 27, got involved in a drunken row with team staff at Champneys Spa in Leicestshire after a team meal.

Houllier added: “I feel sorry for what happened for the club and the fans.”

Team-mate Fabian Delph, just 19, had to intervene to break the fracas up and furniture was damaged in the episode.

PFA officials have expressed their surprise to Villa that they even allowed their players alcohol on the club bonding trip, as that is viewed by the PFA as an ‘accident waiting to happen’.

Houllier insists he does not regret the trip, which also included paint-balling and treatments for the players.

He added: “Players are young and sometimes they regret their mistakes and sometimes they don’t - I still view 31 as young.

“I don’t regret what we set-up - even the next day the players enjoyed the therapy and spa sessions. I have a long capacity of forgiveness, which is very useful in football.

“I trust players and I trust people. I can be tough but I am a nice man. I am not bullying or shouting – sometimes I try to understand but trust is always two-way.”

Houllier and McAllister were absent for the row after leaving to attend Spurs' game against AC Milan in the Champions League that night.

The manager explained he felt it was better for the players to socialise alone with just a few select staff such as coach Cowans.

But Dunne, Collins and Cowans all ended up worse for wear and got into a shouting match over Houllier’s new regime, which has been dogged by controversy since the Frenchman’s arrival last September.

The incident could hardly be more poorly timed, with Villa only two points above the relegation zone.

Houllier said Dunne and Collins will both be missing tomorrow for the visit of Wolves, despite the pair nearing a return to fitness.

Rookie youngsters Nathan Baker and Chris Herd are expected to come into the defence, alongside Carlos Cuellar and Kyle Walker.