Rotherham United Fined for Fielding an Ineligible Player

Rotherham United's had three points deducted and been fined £30,000 for fielding an ineligible player.

It means their battle to avoid the drop from the Championship has got tougher. It's all because Farrend Rawson played for the Millers during their one nil win over Brighton earlier this month - a day after the 18-year-old's youth loan had expired. The deduction means they're now just one point above the bottom three with three games left to play. Rotherham has also got to pay £30,000 with half of suspended until the end of next season.

The club has to pay the costs of the hearing and the Football League as well.

In a statement the club said:

“Rotherham United FC are very disappointed by the decision to deduct 3 points for fielding a player who was ineligible purely because of an administrative error.

"It is our view that true sports fans want to see competitions settled on the pitch and not to have them affected by what happens in disciplinary proceedings. We await the reasoned judgement of the FDC and once we have received it we will issue our appeal after discussion with Jim Sturman QC.

"In the meantime we are confident that our team possesses the will and spirit to ensure that the points deduction is academic by securing our Championship status on the pitch. It would not be appropriate to make any further comment on this matter until after the appeal process has been concluded.”

A Football League statement read:

"A Football Disciplinary Commission has ruled that Rotherham United are to be deducted three points, with immediate effect, for fielding an ineligible player (Farrend Rawson) in the club's Sky Bet Championship fixture with Brighton & Hove Albion on April 6.

" The Millers won the match 1-0 with Rawson playing for the full 90 minutes...The club has until May 1 to lodge an appeal.''