League rivals feel frustrated about Darlington's suspended points deduction

Workington and Nantwich have both hit out at the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League’s decision not to immediately deduct Darlington points after they were found guilty of selecting Anthony Bell in eight matches early in the season, despite him not being eligible.

The winger had previously been with Cardiff City, and Quakers had not received international clearance.

He has long since been released, having failed to make a major impact, and is now at Shildon.

Workington chairman Glenn Heathcote has complained to the Football Association about the league’s decision, and he vented his feelings in today’s The Non-League Paper about what he feels to be an injustice.

• Gray pleased with Darlington's attacking play in win over Colwyn Bay

Heathcote said: “If you look further ahead to the end of the season, there’s going to be at least one club impacted if Darlington finish in the top five and are less than 12 points clear of sixth place.

“The team who finishes sixth is going to be denied at least a play-off place because of this decision.

“It could be worse because if Darlington finish top and are less than 12 points ahead of second place, the team who finishes second will be denied automatic promotion.

“So it’s quite a serious decision that they’ve taken. All we want is the answer to the question: Why has this come about?”

The Non-League Paper says that Workington and four others clubs – Nantwich Salford, Blyth and Rushall Olympic – feel frustrated that they have been unable to ascertain why the league considered a suspended points deduction to be sufficient punishment.

Darlington were charged with playing an ineligible player, a rule which is standardised across the National League system, and in matters of international clearance leagues are permitted to use their discretion.

Despite this being clear, Heathcote remains unhappy, taking particular umbrage at not receiving an explanation from the league.

However, when the suspended points deduction was announced, both the league and Darlington said they would be making no further comment on the matter.

Heathcote said: “It’s important to say we don’t have any issue with Darlington. They’ve been found guilty but their directors have done as much as they could to protect the interests of their club. We would all have done that, so that’s not a problem.

“Our issue is with the league. First and foremost with the decision they’ve taken, secondly that the other clubs have no right of appeal and thirdly, which is very curious, the fact they won’t enter into any dialogue about the decision.

“They just won’t say anything to us. Because we can’t appeal against it, it denies us a bit of natural justice really.

“We spoke to the FA and while we had their sympathy, their legal department advised against direct intervention from the FA.

“Just because the league have got the right to make the decision, doesn’t mean to say the decision is right.”

The first of Bell’s Darlington appearances was a substitute against Workington in August, a game the Cumbria club won 2-1.

The chairman of Nantwich, a club Quakers are yet to meet, have also spoken of their frustration, Tony Davison saying: “It’s all about consistency.

“Several of us have been charged for fielding ineligible players in recent seasons, and we’ve gone down to Wembley to fight our corner, but still been deducted points.

“We would like to know why Darlington haven’t lost those points in this case, but the league are refusing to explain.”

NPL chairman Mark Harris said: “It’s a long-standing Northern Premier League policy not to comment on any individual hearing.

“The panel dealt with this particular hearing in accordance with Rule 6.9. As it says, ‘the company may vary this decision in respect of the points gained only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate.”