Dinnington Town Football Club - Official Statement

Dinnington Town Football Club can confirm that we have accepted a charge issued by the League (Charge Notification 115, dated 12 May 2025) regarding the fielding of an ineligible player in our fixture against Staveley Miners Welfare on 19 April 2025.

The breach was the result of an honest administrative oversight.

While unintentional, we acknowledge that it is solely the responsibility of the Club, and not the League, to ensure all players selected for fixtures are fully eligible to participate. The Leagues role is to ensure all rules are followed and take action against clubs, like ours, if they do not adhere to them.

This was a lapse in judgement and internal procedure, and we accept full responsibility.

We have formally apologised to the League and will in due course do the same to Staveley Miners Welfare. And, we extend that apology to all supporters and stakeholders affected by this incident.

We fully support the League's decision, in accordance with the League’s rules, which clearly outline a minimum three-point deduction per offence and the award of the available points to the opponents for such breaches. We accept the sanction in full.

We have sought confirmation from the League that such rules will continue to be applied consistently across all clubs and circumstances. Our aim is not to dispute the charge, nor to evade the consequences.

As a Club, we are now reviewing our internal checks and governance procedures to ensure this situation is not repeated. This includes strengthening our player registration processes and match day eligibility reviews.

We will not be making any further comment on this matter at this stage.