BOSSES at the West of Scotland Football League are to re-draw the early rounds of the 2024-25 competition...after including an ineligible team by mistake.
The first two rounds of the tournament were drawn on Monday, July 8 and threw up several tasty ties - not the least of them being a second round clash between two giants of the Ayrshire game, Beith and Auchinleck Talbot.
But on Tuesday it emerged that league officials had included a team in Monday's draw who were kicked out of the 2024-25 tournament because of a rule breach last season.
Several WoSFL clubs announced on social media that the draws made on Monday had been declared invalid and would be carried out again at a later date.
NEWS:We have been advised by the WoSFL Board that the cup will be re-drawn as Petershill were banned from the competition due to inadvertently playing a suspended player in last year’s competition
— Kilwinning Rangers (@steadythebuffs) July 9, 2024
We will post the details of the drawn when known https://t.co/U8tHPCYbMY
The team in question was Petershill, who were given a bye in the first round draw and a home tie against Irvine Vics in the second.
But on Tuesday evening the Glasgow club issued a statement admitting that their officials had been "somewhat surprised" to have discovered Peasy's name in the hat - having been sanctioned for fielding an ineligible player last season.
A Petershill spokesperson said: "During our 3-1 defeat against Pollok in the competition last October, Dean McBride came on as a sub late in the game.
READ MORE: West of Scotland Cup draw throws up tasty Beith-Talbot clash
"Prior to the match, our match secretary at the time had contacted the disciplinary section at Hampden to clarify Dean's status as he was in the middle of a suspension, and had been informed that Dean was OK to play in the cup tie.
"It transpired that this information was wrong, and Dean was in fact banned from taking any part in the cup tie.
"After the match we were sanctioned, and as all the communications with the SFA had been over the phone, we could provide no written or email evidence.
"We were found guilty, and as punishment, we were fined and also banned from taking part in the competition in season 2024-25.
"We were somewhat surprised then that when the draws for the first two rounds of this year's tournament were made last night, we were given a bye in round one and drawn at home against Irvine Vics in round two.
Auchinleck Talbot and Beith had been drawn to face each other in round two of the West of Scotland Cup - but the draw has now been scrapped after an ineligible team, Petershill, was included by mistake. (Image: Craig McGhee/Auchinleck Talbot FC)
"Believing honesty to be the best policy, we informed the WoSFL of their oversight this afternoon, and general secretary of the WoSFL John Dalton has thanked us for being upfront and honest and bringing it to their attention.
"As a result the first two rounds will be redrawn without us being in the hat."
A West of Scotland Football League spokesperson said: "Due to an administration error one of our member clubs were drawn in the Indigo Communications West of Scotland Football League Cup when they should have been omitted from the draw, having been banned from taking part this season.
"To uphold sporting integrity and that of the competition the only course of action available to us is a full re-draw of the first and second rounds of the competition.
"We apologise for this administrative oversight and inconvenience.
"The draw will now be redrawn and on the Youtube channel on Friday night."
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