Just to give us all a brief respite from the ICT circus for a few minutes, I thought I would post a few interesting stories I found on the BBC site ..........

BBC Website

Elgin forced to replay Spartans

Elgin City have been forced to replay their Scottish Cup tie against Spartans after the Third Division side fielded an ineligible player.

City beat Spartans 2-1 in the third-round tie, but goalkeeper Joe Malin should not have played.

Malin was signed from Second Division club Ross County after the date of the original tie at Borough Briggs, which was postponed on 29 November.

The Scottish FA set the replay for Monday 15 December in Elgin.

Malin starred in the 2-1 win over Spartans last Saturday, but the beaten side lodged a complaint, which was heard by the SFA on Thursday.

East of Scotland outfit Spartans had asked for the game to be replayed.

Scottish Cup rules state: "When a match is postponed, drawn or abandoned, is played or replayed, only those players who were eligible by means of their registration at the date fixed for originally playing the round may play."

Malin was signed on an emergency loan just 24 hours before Saturday's rescheduled tie as Elgin's two senior goalkeepers were both injured.

Following a replay win over Hamilton Accies last season, Brechin City were expelled from the tournament under similar circumstances.

The SFA originally ordered a replay and fined the Glebe Park club ?10,000 after discovering the home team had fielded an ineligible player. However, once it had emerged that Brechin had selected two players in breach of the registration laws, they were thrown out and Hamilton progressed.

Cheating bassas should have been thrown out.

Ha! Not the first time either :thumb04: :018:

Think they need to tighten up the rules on this as it seems to be becoming a regular thing for clubs to field ineligible players in this fashion.

I can also understand, to an extent, why Elgin took the risk. With both keepers out of action then they were facing the prospect of having to put someone totally inexperienced in goal....so they throw in an ineligible player knowing that the worst they are likely to get is a fine or enforced replay if they win. By the time the replay comes around then with any luck one of the injured keepers has recovered. They have in effect cheated to buy themselves time.

Sanctions need to be set at such a level whereas the cost of being caught doing such a thing are way beyond the potential benefits of taking the chance.

Under the circumstances, I feel for Elgin. Hope they stick it right up Spartans again.

I hope Spartans wipe the floor wi them. Elgin seem to enjoy flirting witht the rules and shouldnt even be getting a replay. Didnt Brechin or Berwick get booted out last season for doing a similar thing?

Following a replay win over Hamilton Accies last season, Brechin City were expelled from the tournament under similar circumstances.

The SFA originally ordered a replay and fined the Glebe Park club ?10,000 after discovering the home team had fielded an ineligible player. However, once it had emerged that Brechin had selected two players in breach of the registration laws, they were thrown out and Hamilton progressed.

I hope Spartans wipe the floor wi them. Elgin seem to enjoy flirting witht the rules and shouldnt even be getting a replay. Didnt Brechin or Berwick get booted out last season for doing a similar thing?

Answered before it was asked .... you didnt read the whole article did you

To be fair to Elgin, they registered the player and asked the SFA for clarity. This clarity didn't come so it was assumed to be ok to play the guy. Hence the reason for a replay and not a forfieture. It will never be admitted but the SFGA are part to blame.

How can they be to blame? The rules are there in black and white!!! Player wasn't registered for the initial tie so he's not eligible to play in the rescheduled match....how much clearer can it be?

How can they be to blame? The rules are there in black and white!!! Player wasn't registered for the initial tie so he's not eligible to play in the rescheduled match....how much clearer can it be?

They should have called the game off if they had no keeper, how would Spartans have felt then?

I can see where Alex is coming from ... Goalkeepers are "special" in some ways .... Clubs can get them on emergency loans outside the transfer window and such like ..... however, as anyone who has ever taken part in organised football right down to Amateur level knows ... you dont stick a name on the team lines until you have the paperwork clearing them to play.

I hope Spartans wipe the floor wi them. Elgin seem to enjoy flirting witht the rules and shouldnt even be getting a replay. Didnt Brechin or Berwick get booted out last season for doing a similar thing?

Answered before it was asked .... you didnt read the whole article did you

Emm...no, yer right, i didnt read it, BUT......i heard something about Elgin doing this the other day.

Surely, in all fairness, Elgin should be obliged to cover Spartans' expenses for the replayed match.

Spartans are not squeeky clean either. A few years ago they won a qualifying cup final. It was then discovered they had played an ineligible player. this guy had played in the first round for another team. they then had to suffer the embarrassment of handing back the trophy and medals.

Why was Joe Malin signed by Elgin? They already had McNulty on loan from us and Ally Ridgers. Or has one of them left?

Why was Joe Malin signed by Elgin? They already had McNulty on loan from us and Ally Ridgers. Or has one of them left?

McNulty injured. Ridgers got flu.

Well I see Elgin are oot anyway. 2-1 to the Sons of Spart.

Justice IMO.

I read somewhere that Spartans also fielded an ineligible player in the first game v Elgin, but the rematch had already been ordered by the time it was discovered. It was perhaps a minor infringement : I think the situation was that he has previously been a Spartans player, then quit and deregistered due to long term injury, then made a comeback without being properly registered.

You been on Pie and Bovril again haven't you?

Sunday Times actually!

The opposite end of the spectrum then!!!

BTW, it could well be correct, it just sounded like the kind of "we were wrong but you were worse" kind of argument that you get among people on P&B.

I see Lochee's tie v Ayr has been postponed 5 times now, but has some way to go to match Inverness Thistle who I think had a tie postponed about 26 times in the 1970's?

This was despite all 7 of Thistle's fans doing their best to get the pitch playable.