'It should not have happened' - Chesterfield chief executive apologises for FA Cup paperwork error that cost Spireites place in next round

Chesterfield were ordered to replay the fourth qualifying round match against Stockport County after they failed to register on-loan Burnley defender, Jordan Cropper, who started the original tie which they won on penalties last month, in time for the game. It meant the Blues broke the competition’s rules by fielding an ineligible player.

The match was replayed on Wednesday night (November 4) and Town lost 4-0 at Edgeley Park.

In a statement Croot said: “At the root of the issue was the fact that the club was without a football secretary for three months prior to the takeover.

“We made the appointment of a football secretary a priority after taking over and were then faced with a backlog of contracts and paperwork which needed to be addressed.

“To compound the matter, a technical issue involving an email relating to Jordan Cropper’s registration arose.

“We launched a robust defence when facing an FA panel and they took into account the mitigating circumstances by agreeing to allow the tie to be replayed.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone connected with the club and pledge to put procedures in place to ensure there is no similar problem in the future.

“It is something that should not have happened.”

Croot also revealed that Chesterfield have asked the National League to ‘reconsider’ how much each club will receive in emergency funding to help them cope without any matchday income.

The Spireites will receive £95,000 per month, for the next three months. The calculation was apparently based on last season’s average attendances but some clubs are unhappy at the final totals and say they should be given a larger share.

Croot added. “The funding is for losses incurred as a direct result of the decision to prevent supporters attending matches due to the impact of Covid-19. In extreme cases this resulted in some clubs receiving around five times as much funding – per absent spectator – as other clubs, which is patently unfair. It is hoped that the distribution of funds will be revised to make it a more realistic allocation.”