West Wratting boss Lee Miller 'baffled' by proposed Kershaw 30 Year Senior Cup Final expulsion after fielding captain Mark Lovell in semi-final with Eaton Socon
West Wratting manager Lee Miller believes his players and himself have been badly let down by Cambridgeshire FA as they wait to learn whether their expulsion from a cup final will be upheld.
It was three days before they were meant to meet Cottenham United to contest the Kershaw 30 Year Senior Cup Final that Miller found out they were being charged with fielding an ineligible player in their semi-final.
The club were then ‘stunned’ to learn that player was their club captain, Mark Lovell. The forward had been an ever present in the season’s Covid-aborted league campaign before returning from an emergency appendix operation for the final 15 minutes of their last four tie.
A hearing into the matter, following the club’s appeal, is due to be heard by Cambridgeshire FA via Zoom tomorrow night. But Miller said he had been told their place in the final at Newmarket Town had already been offered to defeated semi-finalists Eaton Socon, who were apparently not happy to take it.
Cambridgeshire FA would only confirm a personal hearing was due to take place after “there has been an alleged breach of the rules which has to be investigated”.
It is believed the league replacement competition had a set of rules where players who did not feature in the group stages could not play, seemingly to prevent teams taking advantage of signing players for the latter stages.
Miller said: “I am baffled by the recent events.
“This is basically a continuation of the league as all the fixtures were not able to be fulfilled.
“Mark Lovell did not miss a single game of the season but was not able to play in the group games through a serious injury that, at one time, was life threatening. We are all a bit stunned by it.
“We have a hearing via Zoom tomorrow night with Cambs FA and we will know a lot more after that.”
He added: “It is difficult for the lads as we had been preparing for the final with extra sessions and I have had to say switch off lads and enjoy your time off, if possible.
“It is ridiculous when you have played a whole competition for nothing.”
Wratting’s semi-final, in which they recorded a 2-1 victory at the village’s Recreation Ground, took place 10 days before they were informed of the alleged breach of the rules which postponed their final.
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