WREXHAM RECEIVES £75,000 FINE FOR PLAYER ELIGIBILITY BREACHES

The English Football League has fined Wrexham £75,000 over two player eligibility breaches, with £25,000 of the fine suspended. Issa Kabore came off the bench in Wrexham’s 2-1 Championship defeat by Birmingham City on 28 August. Callum O’Hare was an unused substitute in the club’s 3-0 win at Millwall on 2 September. The EFL ruled that neither player was eligible for the match in which he appeared in the squad.

Wrexham said it held the correct right-to-work documents for Kabore but had not submitted them properly to the EFL. The club said it had not registered O’Hare in time for the Millwall fixture. Kabore had returned to Wrexham from Manchester City on a three-year deal shortly before the Birmingham match, following a loan spell last season. O’Hare joined from Sheffield United on a three-year contract the day before the Millwall game. Wrexham received no points deduction, and the club said it had reached an agreed decision with the EFL.

A club official said Phil Parkinson, Wrexham’s coaching staff and Steve Nickson were not responsible for the errors. Nickson’s appointment as sporting director took effect on 7 September. Wrexham said: “The club is taking the appropriate steps to prevent such issues occurring in the future.” The club stood 17th in the Championship after 12 matches.