Soccer Central

After speculation that the club would be deducted eleven points for fielding an unregistered player in the form of Eddie Hutchinson; Oxford United has been deducted five Blue Square Premier League points, and fined an initial £500, with an additional fine of £3,500 suspended until May 2010.

Crawley Town and Bognor Regis Town have both been fined and deducted points for similar offences. A Football Conference Disciplinary Panel meeting was held yesterday, and it was then that decisions were made as to what would happen to each of the three clubs.

Bognor Regis Town FC was fined an initial £250 with a suspended fine of £3,750. The club was also deducted seven Blue Square South points; the heaviest deduction of the three clubs to have been punished. Crawley Town was deducted four Blue Square Premier points, fined an initial £500, is required to pay £250 towards hearing costs, and has a suspended fine of £1,500.

All three clubs have paid the price for fielding unregistered players. Both Oxford United and Crawley Town had been hoping to make the play-offs this season, Bognor Regis Town meanwhile was already bottom of the Blue Square South before this latest blow and will now sit 14 points from safety.

All three teams will no doubt feel that they’ve been treated quite harshly; all three broke the rules however, and just as Mansfield Town did earlier on in the season; have now been forced to face the consequence of their actions.

Bognor Regis Town now faces the toughest fight of all; the fight for survival. Crawley Town still stands a strong chance of making the play-offs, for Oxford however it would seem that the only chance of success for them this season is now the FA Trophy.

The Football Conference has dished out its punishments, and all three clubs now have fourteen days in which to appeal.

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