East Stirlingshire cup expulsion puts Buckie into last 16

Published on Thursday 27 January 2011 19:38

East Stirlingshire have been expelled from the Scottish Cup after fielding an ineligible player in their fourth-round win over Buckie Thistle, meaning the Highland League side - who now host Brechin - are 90 minutes away from a place in the quarter-finals.

Falkirk goalkeeper Michael Andrews played in last week's 1-0 victory for East Stirling despite the registration documents for his loan extension failing to appear at Hampden.

The Irn-Bru Third Division club insisted they sent the papers to the SFA and SFL before Christmas. However, at an emergency meeting yesterday the SFA board members determined the club should be expelled from the competition.

Buckie Thistle are already excited about the next round. Club secretary Albert Phimister said: "We're delighted we're still in the Scottish Cup. It's a massive boost, not only for the manager and the players, but for the whole of the community in Buckie. It's going to be one of the biggest games in Buckie's history - we're 90 minutes away from a quarter-final tie."

But East Stirlingshire were upset with the ruling, insisting they had done eveything they could to abide by the rules. Andrews, 20, signed for Shire in the summer in a loan deal that expired on 3 January. Neither governing body received the updated registration papers but he appeared for the club in their 2-0 league win over Clyde on 15 January and their cup win four days later.

Earlier this week Thomson insisted that they had sent the paperwork in December. "We have acted 100 per cent correctly as far as we are concerned," he said. The SFA passed a resolution at their agm in May automatically expelling clubs who field ineligible players in the competition.

The move was prompted by Dunfermline Athletic's successful appeal against their expulsion last season for breaching four rules surrounding their team lines during their fourth-round win over Stenhousemuir, including fielding the suspended Callum Woods.