Barnsley expelled from FA Cup as minnows Horsham take place in second round
Barnsley have been removed from the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in the early rounds of the tournament.
The Tykes fielded an ineligible player for the first round replay with Horsham, a match that they went on to win 3-0.
The League One side were due to face a trip to Sutton United on December 2 in the second round of the competition, however it'll now be the Isthmian League Premier Division side who take their place in the next round.
A statement from the FA said: "A Professional Game Board Sub-Committee has removed Barnsley from the 2023-24 Emirates FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player during their First Round Proper Replay against Horsham on Tuesday 14 November 2023.
The FA alleged that the player was ineligible for this replay, as he was not correctly registered and eligible for the original First Round Proper match on Friday 3 November 2023, which constitutes a breach of FA Cup Rule 103.
"Barnsley admitted this charge and acknowledged that the breach had occurred.
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"The Sub-Committee’s members ordered that Barnsley be removed from the competition, and that Horsham be awarded the tie and progression to the Second Round Proper.
"Subject to any appeal by Barnsley, Horsham will now play away to Sutton United in the Second Round Proper on Saturday 2 December 2023."
Barnsley have since issued a statement, saying: "Today the FA has advised us that we will no longer be able to participate in the FA Cup this season.
"An administrative error was brought to our attention regarding the eligibility of a player who played in last Tuesday's game with Horsham FC.
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"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."