Stranraer's Scottish Cup dream has been brutally dashed after the club was expelled from the competition for fielding an ineligible player in their recent victory over Queen's Park. The move will leave Stranraer without a significant payment of £200,000 that was expected to "keep the club running for three or four years."
The decision came after Stranraer signed 17-year-old goalkeeper Lyndon Tas on loan from Hearts ahead of the match. However, SFA rules state that players registered for the original date cannot participate in postponed matches, unless they have received emergency loan approval.
In a statement, Stranraer accepted responsibility for their actions and acknowledged that player registration ultimately rests with the club. The Stranraer faithful will be devastated by the news as they had been on the cusp of landing a tie against Rangers, which would have brought significant rewards.
The Scottish Cup exit leaves Queen's Park to face Glasgow rivals Rangers in the last 16 on February 8th. This is a repeat of last season's fifth-round meeting when Queen's Park emerged victorious with a single goal at Ibrox Stadium.
Meanwhile, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard expects an 'a little crazy' end to the transfer window as clubs scramble to strengthen their squads before the mid-season break.
The decision came after Stranraer signed 17-year-old goalkeeper Lyndon Tas on loan from Hearts ahead of the match. However, SFA rules state that players registered for the original date cannot participate in postponed matches, unless they have received emergency loan approval.
In a statement, Stranraer accepted responsibility for their actions and acknowledged that player registration ultimately rests with the club. The Stranraer faithful will be devastated by the news as they had been on the cusp of landing a tie against Rangers, which would have brought significant rewards.
The Scottish Cup exit leaves Queen's Park to face Glasgow rivals Rangers in the last 16 on February 8th. This is a repeat of last season's fifth-round meeting when Queen's Park emerged victorious with a single goal at Ibrox Stadium.
Meanwhile, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard expects an 'a little crazy' end to the transfer window as clubs scramble to strengthen their squads before the mid-season break.
they must be really disappointed now. I mean, can you imagine studying for exams and then finding out that your school team is being kicked out of the tournament? It's like getting a zero on a big test without even trying 
. But seriously, I think it's a good thing the SFA stepped in to enforce their rules. If everyone just did whatever they wanted, it would be chaos! And poor Lyndon Tas, I hope he gets a fair chance to prove himself in another tournament 
.
Stranraer thought they could just wing it and get away with it? Like, come on guys! You knew the rules, you took a risk and got caught... now they're gonna pay the price 
£200k is a big chunk of change, might've been able to keep the club running for a while. But I guess hindsight's 20/20, right? 
Still, Rangers are gonna get an easy ride in the Scottish Cup, no way Queen's Park can take 'em down again 
£200k was gonna keep them afloat for 3-4 years that's like, a lifesaver for any football club 
the SFA needs to review their rules tho, this is just crazy 
Stranraer taking responsibility is huge though, shows they're not trying to play dirty 
can't wait to see what happens next in the Scottish Cup, Queen's Park gonna give it a go? 
. The SFA really is the referee in this situation... I mean, come on guys, get it together! 
Stranraer's Scottish Cup dream is indeed crushed and it's all because of a simple mistake. I mean, who doesn't check the rules, right? 
It's not like they were trying to cheat or anything, but still... £200k is a lot of money and now it's gonna be a struggle for them to keep going. The fans are really gonna miss out on that tie against Rangers. I'm just wondering if Stranraer is gonna get their loan approved in time or if they're gonna have to scramble to find another goalie. And what's with the SFA not being more strict about these things? It seems like a pretty straightforward rule, but I guess you'd be surprised...