EXCLUSIVE Non-league football in TURMOIL: Clubs hit out at 'unjust' punishments which have ruined title charges and RELEGATED teams... as FA admits system is built on 'outdated' tech
Title battles and relegation scraps have been settled by points deductions, with at least 13 clubs from the seventh to 10th tiers of English football directly impacted.
Teams claim that a faulty FA admin system fails to notify them when a player is suspended for misconduct in Sunday league, which carries over into non-league.
This has led to clubs fielding players who are banned while apparently unaware of it, only to be hit with points deductions and fines months down the line.
The Whole Game System (WGS), the portal which deals with the admin, is being replaced next season after the FA admitted it is 'built on outdated technology which can no longer keep up the requirements of our users'.
Mail Sport has spoken with insiders at multiple teams who feel let down, while sources fear other clubs have got away with the same offence not being flagged. The stance of leagues and the FA? Take more care - you're responsible for your players.
The firecest battle involved Lydd Town, which is seeing lawyers wade in. Lydd are protesting a four-point deduction which will see them relegated from the Southern Counties East League Premier Division, the ninth tier of football.
Relegation would mean expulsion from the FA Cup, a mass exodus of players, and a drop in attendances, the club says.
Manager Ryan Smith is taking their case to an FA hearing at Wembley on June 13 to try and get it overturned. If that happens, Snodland Town would be relegated instead.
'We're being punished off the pitch for something beyond our control. This isn't just a points deduction—it's a betrayal of the game's integrity,' Smith told Mail Sport.
'The highest level we've ever reached—the FA Cup—is now at stake. We will not be silenced; we will not back down. We'll fight this injustice with everything we've got—for the players, the fans, and our club.'
Lydd had played Charlie Dickens in seven matches despite the fact he was suspended from all football for a misconduct charge he picked up in Sunday league.
Smith argues they were never made aware of the situation and Dickens' Sunday league side, Egerton, even wrote to the league to accept responsibility and admit they never told the player of his suspension.
'Never in 25 years have we had a charge for playing an inelegible player until now,' Smith added over the phone.
'We won 14 games out of our last 18 and were celebrating a great escape. But we only found out (about the punishment) three days before the end of the season.'
The league's disciplinary commission disagreed and were 'satisfied' that the suspension would have been showing on the Whole Game System for multiple weeks.
This is one of many cases, though in most the clubs have backed down. Lydd Town were the only club who would speak on the record.
There is also a fear that other sides have committed the same offence but gone unpunished. An anonymous source well acquainted with football in Kent describes one situation where the league only became aware an ineligible player had featured because they were notified by a man walking his dog who recognised him.
In the Combined Counties Premier League South, also the ninth tier, Jersey Bulls and Redhill have missed out on the title after points deductions.
AFC Whyteleafe have been promoted on 95 points, with Jersey Bulls and Redhill being made to settle for play-off positions on 93 after being docked three each.
Jersey Bulls mistakenly played Toby Ritzema in a 4-0 win against Tooting and Mitcham after misunderstanding a suspension.
They voluntarily forced him to sit out for two matches beforehand after he reached 10 yellow cards, with one of those coming in the FA Vase.
The FA admitted earlier this season that the Whole Game System was unfit for purpose
Clubs hit with points deductions
Seventh tier (non-league step three)
Isthmian League - Premier Division: Cray Valley -3
Eighth tier (non-league step four):
Northern Premier League East Division: Grimsby Borough -3, Brighouse Town -3 (relegated as a result)
Southern League South Division: Tavistock (-1)
Ninth tier (non-league step five):
Combined Counties League Premier Division South: Jersey Bulls -3 (missed out on title), Redhill -3 (missed out on title)
Northern Counties East League Premier Division: Albion Sports -3 (missed out on play-offs)
Southern Counties East League Premier Division: VCD Athletic -1, Lydd Town -4* (relegated if FA appeal fails)
Tenth tier (non-league step six):
Northern League Division Two: Bedlington Terriers -3 (relegated anyway)
Northern Counties East League Division One: Dronfield Town -3 (relegated anyway), Appleby Frodingham -3 (relegated anyway)
Southern Counties East League First Division: Rochester United -6
*Seventh-tier Matlock Town have also been deducted three points and are relegated, but Mail Sport understands this was not related to the Whole Game System.
But the FA Vase booking did not actually count towards his total of 10, so when he did subsequently reach that threshold, the club were unaware and played him against Tooting and Mitcham.
Redhill have been punished for the same offence and therefore Whyteleafe, who finished third, have been promoted.
Elsewhere, Albion Sports have missed out on the play-offs of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, while Brighouse Town have been demoted from the Northern Premier League East Division, both after three-point deductions.
Mail Sport contacted both to clarify the circumstances which have led to their docks, but neither got back.
A tenth-tier club, Rochester United of Southern Counties East Division 1 (SCEFL 1), accepted a six-point deduction with 'disappointment' after twice fielding Max Morgan - despite not knowing a ban had crossed over from Sunday league.
The club wrote: 'Rochester United at all times have never sought to deny that the player played, our mitigation has always been that we never knew he was suspended, a fact that was examined in detail and found credible by an independent FA Disciplinary Panel back in January.
'Sadly SCEFL declined to hear the same body of evidence despite repeated offers, gave misleading information on the appeals process, and generally thwarted all discussions on the fallibility of notification systems that are being retired at the end of this season.'
Mail Sport has contacted the Kent FA for comment.
An FA spokesperson told Mail Sport: 'The Whole Game System successfully administers football across over 900 leagues, 18,000 clubs, and 1.5 million players annually.
'Whilst suspensions are administered via the system, clubs are ultimately responsible for checking the status of suspensions and any cards issued are processed in accordance with FA Rules and Regulations.'
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