UNI SIDE HIT WITH £2K FINE FOR LATE PULL OUT

TEAM Northumbria have been fined £2,000 for the late notification of their withdrawal from the Ebac Northern League.

The University side pulled out of the Step 6 league just three weeks before the start of the season, insisting it wanted to “engage more students in a broader programme of participation”.

The Division One club informed the Football Association of their decision to step down on Tuesday, July 10 with Northern League chiefs due to be notified the following day.

But according to league chairman Glenn Youngman, the late withdrawal and the ill-timed release of the news to the media, was deemed worthy of punishment.

“It is highly regrettable that the university made their decision so close to the new season,” he said in a statement. “This was compounded by the fact that they confirmed their decision to the media before having the courtesy to formally inform the league of their resignation.

“A formal letter to the league secretary was only provided after we wrote to the club asking them to confirm the decision. Prior to that, the only notification was a group email which was copied to our registrations secretary – but not to either myself or the league secretary.

“The lateness of the decision has meant that other clubs in the league have been adversely affected by relegation – a situation that would easily have been avoided by a timely resignation which would have allowed the FA to potentially make different decisions about relegation.”

The club, still competing in the British Universities and Colleges Sport League, was also fined £100 for failing to pay the membership fees and the £250 in fees for the current season.