Bridlington Town kicked out of cup semi-finals by East Riding FA for playing an ineligible player

The Seasiders had been due to play host to Pocklington Town in the semi-final on Tuesday March 1, but Sculcoates will now take their place in the final four.

Town secretary Gordon Gillott said in a statement on the club website: "We have been informed this morning that Bridlington Town have been removed from the East Riding Senior Cup for playing an ineligible player against Sculcoates Amateurs and therefore Sculcoates Amateurs have been reinstated in the competition.

"I need to inform our supporters that it was a genuine error on my behalf and I have taken full responsibility for the error. Manager Brett Agnew, his staff and the player concerned were not in any way aware of the breach of rules and it is completely down to me.

"The player should have been played for the team at least fourteen days before the tie was played. I thought it referred to semi-finals only as a player must play for a team at least twenty-eight days before the final. In the previous tie against Hemingbrough United a player just had to be registered with the Northern Premier League.

"The ERCFA rules differ to those for FA Competitions because in the FA Cup, Trophy and Vase a player has to be registered with a club by noon on the Friday preceding the fixture.

"ERCFA Challenge Cup Competitions rules state that “the Committee may disqualify the player and may strike the club from the competition and/or impose such other penalty as it thinks fit”. Obviously the Committee took the decision to eliminate the club despite my plea for leniency in the light that they recognised it as a genuine error.

"I wish to apologise to everyone connected with the club for my error and would hope that if they have any issues, they will take them up with me personally and not condemn my actions behind my back."

Town chairman Pete Smurthwaite hit out at the East Riding FA's rules in his own statement shortly afterwards.

He said: "I would like to express my disappointment at the decision made by the ERCFA to remove us from the Senior Cup Competition.

"Their rules are that out of date they are still on a carved stone tablet in the attic at their Headquarters. When proper cup competitions i.e the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase allow clubs to register a player 24 hours before the fixture, something needs drastically looking at.

"What is even more annoying is Gordon was actually speaking to the ERCFA Cup Competitions Secretary an hour before the game and mentioned the player had only recently signed for us, obviously that person does not know their own competition rules.

"We have always been strong supporters of the competition over many years and I know the Alliance Leagues are now looking into the overall situation with regard to County Cups so there could well be changes in the future.

"Gordon has done an excellent job as a volunteer as Secretary of this football club. This is the first time we have been penalised for an error in his administration during the years he has been Secretary, doing what is a very difficult job even more so now we are playing at a higher level. He is very well respected by the officials of the Northern Premier League and the Northern Counties East League for the efficient way he conducts his business.

"I wish Sculcoates Amateurs all the best in the Semi-Final with them being one of the local teams my Company has sponsored over recent years. The Humber League was formed by the ERCFA originally and they have always wanted a Senior Cup Final with both teams representing the Humber League so this could be their year.

"Finally we apologise to our management, officials, players and fans for this situation caused by a genuine error and trust we can now concentrate on our main goal which is to maintain our status in the Northern Premier League for the next and future seasons."