Barnsley were thrown out of the FA Cup after using an ineligible player in their first round replay win over non-league Horsham.
The League One team admitted they had made an ‘administrative error’ and apologized to their fans for the ‘regrettable’ mistake.
Barnsley were held to a 3-3 draw by seventh team Oakwell before they comfortably won 3-0 at Horsham in the replay last week.
The Tykes have accepted the charges and are unlikely to appeal. It means Horsham, who play in the Isthmian Premier League, are now just one game away from a potentially blockbuster match against a Premier League team.
The FA confirmed that Horsham will progress to the second round, where they will play League Two side Sutton United on December 2.
Barnsley were thrown out of the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in the win over Horsham
Seventh-tier Horsham now progress to the second round of the FA Cup
“Today the FA has informed 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 has been brought to our attention regarding the eligibility of a player who featured in last Tuesday’s match against Horsham FC.
“The club has fully co-operated with the investigation and accepted the FA’s decision. We have been in contact with Horsham FC and would like to thank the club and the chairman for their understanding and cooperation during this process.
‘We would like to apologize to our fans, players and staff for this regrettable error.
“This mistake, although unintentional, falls far 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 then put safeguards in place to ensure this never happens again.”
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