FOOTBALL: Witney thrown out of Oxfordshire Senior Cup (From Oxford Mail)

FOOTBALL: Witney thrown out of Oxfordshire Senior Cup

11:00am Thursday 20th December 2012 in Sport By Nick Farrant, Sports reporter specialising in Non League Football. Call me on 01865 425488

WITNEY Town’s interest in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup has ended after they were unable to field a side for Tuesday’s third-round tie at home to Kidlington.

It’s another embarrassment for the club, who over the last two weeks have seen their manager Justin Lee, chairman Stuart Pike, director of football Andy Lyne, club secretary Aleck Everard and match secretary Ady Bircher, plus a host of players, quit the the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division outfit.

Although Witney had enough players to fulfil the fixture, under the competition’s seven-day rule, only players signed on by December 11 were eligible to play.

Oxfordshire Football Association chief executive Ian Mason said: “While we have sympathy with Witney’s situation, we have had a number of teams that have had to pull out of competitions because they were unable to field a side.

“We cannot be seen to favour one club over another, so we as a committee took the view that Kidlington should be given a bye into the next round.”