🦞Club Statement🦞
Club Update
We were reported to the
@ComCoFL by Jersey Bulls after the final game of the season, triggering an investigation into playing an ineligible player in December 2024.
We have been working closely with both the FA and League to assist them in their investigations. The ineligibility of the player arose from receiving 5 cautions before the 31st December cut-off date, however only 4 were entered in Whole Game System when we checked. Whole Game System is the system we are required to manage discipline within.
Our case was heard on 2 May by the FA, and we were found guilty; the matter was then passed on to the Combined Counties League. We submitted our Plea of Mitigation to the League late Tuesday evening and our hearing took place this afternoon. The League found against us and will proceed to issue points deduction and fine; we await their correspondence.
As a club, we feel we had 'exceptional' circumstances due to the omission of a match official to update the Whole Game System with cautions. As it stands today, the player in question is still only showing 4 cautions before the 31st of December, and has not been processed for a 5th caution in October, which would have taken him over the threshold to receive an automatic 1-match suspension in December.
We would once again like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to our players, the management team, Committee members, volunteers, sponsors, and, most importantly, our incredible Lobsters Army for their patience and understanding during this process.
@JClark_8 and the players will now turn their focus to preparing for the Play Offs while the club considers its next actions and whether we will be submitting an appeal.
@NonLeaguePaper