August 28 – While the giants of the game grapple with the challenge of meeting financial fair play regulations, spare a thought for tiny English non-league side Litherland Remyca who have been thrown out of the FA Cup, the world’s oldest domestic knockout competition, over an unpaid £10 fine.
The club, from the Liverpool area, unwittingly fielded a suspended player in a 4-2 win over Charnock Richard in the extra preliminary round of the competition – six rounds before the first round proper when professional teams from Leagues 1 and 2 enter.
The player’s one-match ban for not paying an ‘administrative’ fine at his previous club was carried over from last season.
Litherland, who play in the North West Counties League Premier Division, said the ruling was a “massive blow with numerous implications”.
A club statement read: “The sanctions for a minor administration technicality are considerable, but we must dust ourselves down, learn from the experience and come back stronger.”
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