Crook Town and Esh Winning junior soccer teams have been thrown out of the Auckland and District Ebac Youth League cup for falsely claiming they had played two games on one night when in fact they played only one.

As a result, West Auckland have been reinstated and will play Chilton YC in the final tomorrow instead of Crook. The two erring clubs have also each been fined £25.

Crook and Esh told the league they had played their two outstanding league cup qualifying games 35 minutes each way, back to back on the same night of April 11, Crook supposedly winning both matches 1-0. In fact, they played only two 45-minute halves but counted each half as a full game, contrary to FA rules.

There was a similar occurrence in the league three years ago when Tow Law and Ludworth Star Rams falsely claimed they had played a match with Tow Law winning 7-1. No game had in fact been played, but the pretence was maintained even to the extent of giving names of the supposed goalscorers.

When the game was actually played later Tow Law won 12-1. Both clubs were fined and subsequently dropped out of the league.

l Crook are leaving the Auckland League and have made an application to join the Tyneside Junior League