Wrexham A.F.C. have been fined £75,000 by the English Football League for fielding ineligible players. The sanction includes a suspended portion of £25,000 and relates to two separate breaches of competition rules. The club, currently 17th in the Championship with 14 points from 12 games, has a record of three wins, five draws and four defeats this season.
The club admitted the second breach and has committed to improving its administrative processes. "We can confirm that Wrexham AFC has reached an agreed decision with the EFL concerning two breaches relating to player eligibility," the club said.
Player eligibility breaches
Issa Kabore was ineligible for Wrexham's 2-1 home defeat by Birmingham City in August. He came on as a substitute despite his Home Office documents not being correctly uploaded before the match. The EFL ruled that the club ignored an official warning about Kabore's status. His registration was not confirmed until the following week, nearly 24 hours after the eligibility deadline had passed.
In a separate incident, Callum O'Hare was named as an unused substitute for the 3-0 win over Millwall on 2 September. He had joined from Sheffield United the day before, but his registration was not confirmed in time for the match. Wrexham had three applications for O'Hare rejected by the Football Association, which cited 'substantially incomplete documents'.
Club response and administrative changes
As part of the agreed decision, Wrexham have pledged to implement recruitment and training improvements to prevent future issues. The club is understood to be hiring a club secretary and enhancing administrative training for staff. Phil Parkinson, the manager, was not found to be at fault for the incidents. The club's new sporting director, Steve Nickson, was not officially appointed until 7 September, after the breaches occurred.
Wrexham, currently 17th in the Championship, are winless on the road this season. Their next fixture is away to 12th-placed Sheffield United on Friday, 30 October. The squad faces this challenge while dealing with several absentees, including N. Broadhead, L. Cacace, M. Cleworth, S. Revan, J. Windass, and G. Thomason. The team's recent form shows two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five matches, a sequence that includes a 2-0 loss at Blackburn on Saturday 24 October and a 4-1 home victory over Preston on Saturday 17 October. This season, Wrexham have scored 15 goals and conceded 18, leaving them with a goal difference of minus three and 11 points behind the league leaders, Middlesbrough. Their top scorer this campaign is K. Moore with five goals in 12 appearances.
First reported at BBC Sport Football
