Monday 15 December 2014 18:30, UK
Chesterfield have been ordered to replay their FA Cup second round tie with MK Dons having fielded an ineligible player in the initial 1-0 victory.
On-loan Wolves defender George Margreitter played for Chesterfield in the fixture on December 6 without the necessary written permission and an FA Cup sub-committee have ruled that the clash be replayed.
An FA statement said: "After considering submissions made by Chesterfield FC in relation to the charge, the committee has ordered the tie to be replayed at MK Dons on the earliest available date as decided by The FA.
"The tie will be played to a finish, with no further replay. No further action was taken against Chesterfield FC as ordering the tie to be replayed was deemed sufficient punishment. The decision is binding on all parties."
Spireites chief executive Chris Turner described the ruling as "astonishing".
"We are very disappointed with the outcome," he told BBC Radio Sheffield. "We put forward a lot of reasons why the situation evolved and we had full support from MK Dons and full support from Wolverhampton Wanderers but
unfortunately the FA did not see it that way.
"The precedent case with Bradford City, who were excluded from the competition and then reinstated, we felt surely it was the same situation with ourselves.
"We won the game and then we have to replay two or three weeks later. We are astonished, I have to say we are absolutely astonished with the decision.
"And the problem is that the decision which has been arrived at is that we cannot appeal against it.
"If they'd have expelled us from the competition we could have appealed it, so really they're sat on the fence.
"We haven't even got the opportunity of going there and getting a draw and bringing them to the Proact Stadium.
"It is a game where a result will be decided on the night. It really is an amazing decision and we are very disappointed.
"We run a very professional football club. We have not made a massive error here. It is a situation that has involved a couple of football clubs, ourselves and Wolves, and certain situations have arisen, human error and everything else.
"We are a professional run football club and we don't make mistakes of this ilk."
The winner of the replayed tie will face a trip to either Worcester or Scunthorpe in the third round.
MK Dons currently lie in third in League One with Chesterfield 10 places beneath them.
