Despite a 6-1 win over Chalfont St Peter in the FA Vase First Qualifying Round, Langley have been removed from the competition.
A statement by the FA released to Football in Berkshire said: “Langley FC has been removed from The FA Vase after admitting a breach of the competition’s Rule 15 that took place during a tie against Chalfont St Peter FC in the First Round Qualifying on Friday 26 August 2022.
“Langley FC fielded an ineligible player in this tie, and an FA National Game Competitions Sub-Committee subsequently ordered that they be removed from the competition. Its members also awarded Chalfont St Peter FC the original tie and re-instated them in the competition.
“Chalfont St Peter FC will now play at home to Rayners Lane FC in the Second Round Qualifying, with this match to be played on Saturday 24 September 2022.”
Langley statement on FA Vase removal
As you will be aware we have unfortunately been removed from this seasons Isuzu FA Vase competition.
A decision was made on the night of the match to allow the inclusion of an under 18 player in the matchday squad on the understanding of a league rule that exists but unfortunately does not carry over into the competition in question.
The chairman sought the advice and knowledge of some people close to him but unfortunately the advice given to him proved to be incorrect. As an ownership team we accept that it is our responsibility to understand the rules of each competition and as such accept the blame lies solely on us.
We would like to apologise to the fans as we understand that you were excited to see how far we could go in the competition and we would like to offer our sincere apologies to the management team, coaching staff and players who have also been let down by us. This was a genuine mistake on our part and one we will take the opportunity to learn from. We thank you for your understanding and support.
Regards, Darryl, Chris, Nick and Damian.
