Wrexham Fined £75,000 for Fielding Ineligible Players
Wrexham AFC has been fined £75,000 by the English Football League (EFL), with £25,000 of the penalty suspended, following two instances of fielding ineligible players during the current season.
According to EFL rulings, players Issa Kabore and Callum O’Hare were ineligible to participate in Wrexham’s matches against Birmingham City and Millwall, respectively. Kabore came off the bench during Wrexham’s 2-1 loss to Birmingham City on August 28, despite not having his Home Office ‘right to work’ documents correctly submitted. O’Hare, who joined from Sheffield United just one day prior, was an unused substitute in Wrexham’s 3-0 victory at Millwall on September 2, due to the late submission of his documentation.
A club statement confirmed, “We can confirm that Wrexham AFC has reached an agreed decision with the EFL concerning two breaches relating to player eligibility.”
Kabore had spent the previous season on loan with Wrexham before making his move from Manchester City permanent over the summer. He signed a three-year contract with Wrexham shortly before the Birmingham match, and has since made ten appearances in the Championship this season. Similarly, O’Hare also signed a three-year deal with Wrexham in the summer after leaving Sheffield United.
Wrexham is currently positioned 17th in the Championship after 12 matches and is actively taking measures to enhance club administration to prevent similar issues in the future. Reports indicate that the club intends to hire a club secretary and improve administrative training protocols.
A club official clarified to BBC Sport Wales that the issues regarding Kabore and O’Hare were not the fault of manager Phil Parkinson, his coaching staff, or new sporting director Steve Nickson, who was officially appointed on September 7.
The statement from Wrexham emphasized, “The club is taking the appropriate steps to prevent such issues occurring in the future.”
