Wrexham fined £75,000 over two ineligible player cases

Wrexham have been fined £75,000 by the English Football League over two player eligibility breaches in Championship matches against Birmingham City and Millwall, BBC Sport reported on 28 October. £25,000 of the penalty is suspended. The cases involved Issa Kabore, who played against Birmingham, and Callum O’Hare, who was named on the bench against Millwall but did not play.

Why Issa Kabore was ineligible against Birmingham

Kabore came on as a substitute in Wrexham’s 2-1 defeat by Birmingham City on 28 August. BBC Sport reported that his Home Office right-to-work documents had not been correctly uploaded. The Sun reported that Wrexham held the correct documents but had not properly submitted them to the EFL. The paperwork failure made him ineligible for that fixture.

Why Callum O’Hare could not be named against Millwall

O’Hare joined Wrexham from Sheffield United the day before their 3-0 win at Millwall on 2 September. He was listed as a substitute but did not enter the match. BBC Sport reported that his documentation had not been uploaded in time; The Sun reported that his registration was incomplete when he was included in the matchday squad.

The Sun reported that Wrexham avoided a points deduction. It cited earlier EFL cases involving Bury, Rotherham and AFC Wimbledon in which clubs forfeited points after fielding ineligible players in matches they won. Wrexham’s two cases differed in a material respect: Kabore played in a defeat, while O’Hare did not play in the win at Millwall.

Wrexham’s response to the EFL decision

Wrexham said it had reached an agreed decision with the EFL over the two breaches and was taking steps to prevent similar problems. BBC Sport reported that the club was understood to be considering a club secretary appointment and better administrative training; the club’s statement did not specify those measures.

A club official told BBC Sport Wales that manager Phil Parkinson, his coaching staff and sporting director Steve Nickson were not responsible for the incidents. Nickson was not officially appointed until 7 September, after both matches. BBC Sport reported that Wrexham were 17th in the Championship after 12 games when the penalty was announced.