Grays expelled from the FA Cup

Grays Athletic have announced that they have been expelled from the FA Cup, due to fielding a player without the correct international clearance in an earlier round. Consequently their tie at Kingstonian, scheduled to be played on Sunday, will not now go ahead.

In a statement, which you can read here, the club explain that the player in question returned to the country from the USA, subsequently played for two other clubs prior to moving to Parkside, and came on as a second half substitute in victory over Heybridge Swifts.

Chairman Steve Skinner later made a second, understandably emotional, statement on the matter- and you can read that here. He suggests that the club are likely to appeal, and they they "remain hopeful that we can overturn the verdict."