LEAGUE STATEMENT

The League was advised yesterday by the Football Association that AC London and an individual connected with the club had won their appeals against the decisions of Surrey County FA, following the abandonment before the start of their RPM Records Division One Challenge Cup match on Wednesday 14 September 2016.

AC London were separately found guilty by the League’s Management Committee of causing the match to be abandoned and the tie had been awarded to Banstead. In the light of the FA decision, AC London immediately made it clear they would appeal against the League’s ruling as well and, given the earlier FA decision, it seemed likely that they would win again. Even if they didn’t, the competition may well have run out of time and would probably have had to be abandoned for the season.

In the light of that and in the interests of all the other clubs still in the competition, the Board saw no alternative but to restore AC London to the competition. As a result, AC London will now be at home on Tuesday 28 February to Banstead Athletic, with whom they ground share, in the 1st Round of the competition, with Chessington & Hook United to play the winners in the 2nd Round as soon as is practicable.