Citizens avoid relegation after appeal

BANGOR City will be not be relegated from the Cymru Alliance after a successful appeal against their 42-point deduction.

The huge points deduction meant the Citizens were set to drop down from Wales’ second tier and the beleaguered club has also been fined and slapped with a transfer embargo over the disciplinary offences.

In a statement, the FAW said 12 charges had been proven, including failing to “comply with their financial obligations” towards six of their current and/or former professional players.

Other charges include not submitting an employment contract for a player referred to as “Player A” in or around November 2018, with the FAW also ruling the contract had been signed outside of the professional registration period, which closed on August 31, 2018.

Charges regarding a “Player B” were also proven, including that he had been signed in September 2018, which was again outside of the registration period. His contract had also not been submitted to the FAW.

The FAW also said that the club did not use the FIFA transfer matching system to obtain the international transfer certificate for the same player.

But the club appealed and the points deduction has been reduced to 21 points meaning Bangor stay up on goal difference.

In a statement, the club said: “Bangor City Football Club has today been involved in the rehearing of the 42-point deduction.

“This is for allegedly making use of ineligible players.

“The club, represented by Christopher O’Neal, successfully persuaded the independent appeals panel of the facts and as such the panel has issued the following sanctions:

“Bangor City to be deducted 21 points from their Huws Gray Alliance campaign 2018-19 and to be fined £700.

“Bangor City to receive appeal costs of £439.20 back from Football Association of Wales.

“What this means for the club is that next year we will be competing in tier two of the Welsh football pyramid and we are delighted the panel has adjudicated fairly and independently.

“We are grateful to the witnesses who represented the club at the hearing and we look forward to the forthcoming season.”

The club have still made signings despite being placed under a transfer embargo.