Grimsby Town have been fined £20,000 for fielding an ineligible player in their famous Carabao Cup win over Manchester United.
The Mariners knocked out the Premier League club on penalties after the tie finished 2-2 after 90 minutes.
The League Two side brought on midfielder Clarke Oduor, who had joined on loan the day before from Bradford City, as a substitute but later realised he had been registered one minute and 59 seconds after the 12:00 BST deadline.
Oduor came on in the 73rd minute and had his penalty saved by Andre Onana in the shootout, but Grimsby won 12-11.
In a statement the EFL said, external Grimsby reported the breach themselves and the “club’s non-compliance was not deliberate with no intention to deceive or mislead”.
They must pay £10,000, with the remaining £10,000 suspended until the end of the season.
Manchester United, who were told of the situation on Monday, will not be pursuing a return to this season’s competition.
The EFL said the board’s decision to issue a fine “followed precedent” and was taken after a “comprehensive review of all the evidence and considering prior decisions taken in respect of offences in the League Cup”.
On the three previous occasions ineligible players have been fielded in the competition, the clubs making the error have also been fined.
Liverpool, Accrington Stanley and Sunderland were the clubs involved and, like Grimsby, they also all won their ties.
David Artell’s side will face Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the competition later this month.
“The registration was submitted to the EFL at one minute past the deadline and the issue was not immediately identified by the club due to a computer problem being experienced,” read a Grimsby statement., external
“We accept the fine imposed and fully recognise the importance of adhering to competition rules. This mistake was not deliberate, and the club acted transparently by self-reporting the breach as soon as it came to light.
“Since this incident, we have undertaken a thorough review of our processes and implemented strengthened measures to ensure it cannot happen again.
“We thank the EFL board for recognising our co-operation and intent.”
