Barnsley fans have reacted negatively to the club’s surprise removal from the FA Cup, saying there was no excuse for the administrative error which caused it.
On Wednesday, the FA confirmed the Tykes had fielded an ineligible player in their 3-0 First Round replay win against Horsham last Tuesday.
Their expulsion has allowed the non-league side from West Sussex to re-enter the competition.
Sebastian Jones, South Yorkshire Sport podcast co-host and Barnsley season ticket holder, said the outcome was not a good look for Neill Collins’ side.
He said: “It’s quite embarrassing for a club of our stature to be knocked out of such a historical competition in this manner.”
Barnsley won the world’s oldest football tournament back in 1912 but hit headlines again in 2008 after reaching the semi-finals. Their run to the last four included a historic 1-0 win over holders Chelsea.
The FA confirmed the Tykes had breached Rule 103 of the tournament in their replay against Horsham. Players who were not registered for the original match were not allowed to play in the replay.
Mr Jones, 19, added: “The fans are very annoyed at the club and have questioned the board, the directors and the head coach as to why this has happened in the first place.”
The ineligible player has not been named, and the club are not expected to appeal the decision. They took to their website on Wednesday and apologised to fans for the error.
Barnsley fans were not shy to express their annoyance on X.
One fan said of the club that “nothing surprises me anymore.” Another said they “feel like the club is falling apart from the top and spiralling down.”
The decision to expel Barnsley from the tournament sparked controversy among football fans.
Some pointed out Premier League club Liverpool were only fined for fielding an ineligible player during their 2-0 win over MK Dons in the 2019 Carabao Cup.
However, the FA Cup and Carabao Cup are administered by different footballing bodies.
Mr Jones did not think there was a bias for bigger clubs in this instance. He said Liverpool would have likely faced the same punishment as Barnsley had their 2019 offence happened in the FA Cup.
