Cheers for this pal.
How come a lawyer checking contracts didn’t ask to see the old contract? That’s a mistake, but still a heavy hit. Also unfair on others as well. Crazy situation. A lawyer is at fault though. Gutted seeing Bury lose points.
Further news
As others have stated, we will permanently be deducted 3 points as a punishment for the offence.
In addition and owing to GNE’s protest, the first game of the season will be considered null and void and so will essentially never have happened. We will therefore drop 1 game played, lose 5 goals scored, lose 1 goal conceded and lose the three points from that victory.
The game will be replayed, following which, we have the opportunity to get 3 points and build back our goal difference. Should we win, we will just be the 3 points worse off. It is imperative that we achieve that outcome.
Not only will we replay the game, but the league is essentially using cup rules to justify the replay. This means that both the league and GNE will secure a share of the gate from the replay.
It was claimed by Congleton that Shak was still under contract to them.
Where the confusion lay, is that Shak’s contract expired on May 8th after the last competitive match of the season, but contained a unilateral option to extend meaning that the player cannot turn it down once notice is served.
Congleton claimed that the notice to extend his contract was served by the deadline of May 15th (unilateral extensions must be served within 7 days of the first Saturday in May or 7 days after the last competitive game, whichever the latter). The one stipulation in the contract is that the club extending the contract must bear the burden of proof that the notice has been served.
The evidence indicates that the notice of extension was sent to the wrong address and was never received by the player. Despite this fact, the football authorities believe that the notice of contract extension was suitably served.
There were consequences from the first game too
So since that game:
- The ineligible player has left the club.
- Benito Lowe had a yellow card upgraded to a red and subsequently missed three games
- The Glossop North End player who I think was on the other end of the Lowe incident (Nathan Valentine) has left their club
- The Bury Manager left the club
- The Glossop North End Manager left their club
The whole situation leaves a very sour taste, as both the league and Glossop anticipate a pay day