BASFORD AND GOSPORT PAY THE PRICE

TWO Non-League clubs are counting the cost of admin errors as they were hit hard by the football authorities.

Basford United have been deducted three points for playing an ineligible player in the Evo-Stik NPL South nearly two months.

On September 10, they fielded Callum Smith in a 3-2 win over Stocksbridge Park Steels – but he was not registered with the league.

Basford drop out of the play-off places after being found guilty and a league statement confirmed: “The panel found Basford United guilty of a breach of Rule 6.9, playing an ineligible player – namely Callum Smith – when he was not registered with the Northern Premier League and therefore not eligible to participate.

“The sanction imposed by the panel is that the thee points gained in the fixture versus Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday, September 10 will be deducted from the club’s playing record.”

Gosport Borough have, meanwhile, been removed from the Portsmouth Senior Cup after a fixture row with Havant & Waterlooville.

The game – scheduled for October 25 – was postponed by the National League South club four days before.

But there was a sting in the tail after the FA found in favour of the Hawks and upheld a complaint that the only match planned on that date was a youth team game, not a first team fixture.