Barnsley have been thrown out of the FA Cup after they fielded an ineligible player in their first-round replay win over non-league side Horsham.
The League One outfit admitted they had made an ‘administrative error’ and apologised to their fans for the ‘regrettable’ mistake.
Barnsley were held to a 3-3 draw by the seventh-tier team at Oakwell before they comfortably won 3-0 at Horsham in the replay last week.
The Tykes have accepted the charge and are unlikely to appeal. It means Horsham, who play in the Isthmian Premier League, are now just one game away from a potential blockbuster tie against a Premier League team.
The FA confirmed Horsham will go through to the second round, where they will face League Two side Sutton United on December 2.
Barnsley have been thrown out of the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in the win over Horsham
Seventh-tier side Horsham will now progress to the second round of the FA Cup
‘Today the FA has advised us that we will no longer be able to participate in the FA Cup this season,’ Barnsley said in a statement on Wednesday.
‘An administrative error was brought to our attention regarding the eligibility of a player who played in last Tuesday’s game with Horsham FC.
‘The club has fully cooperated with the investigation and has accepted the FA’s decision. We have been in contact with Horsham FC and would like to thank the club and Chairman for their understanding and cooperation throughout this process.
‘We would like to apologise to our fans, players and staff for this regrettable error.
‘This mistake – although unintentional – falls way below the high standards we set at this club and is simply not what you deserve. We have already conducted a full internal investigation and have subsequently put safeguards in place to ensure this will never happen again.’
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