Grimsby Town have landed in hot water with the English Football League (EFL) after it was confirmed they used an ineligible player during their dramatic Carabao Cup second-round clash against Manchester United on August 27.
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The League Two outfit stunned the football world last week by eliminating the 20-time Premier League champions in what was hailed as one of the club’s most iconic nights. ..Continue Reading
Goals from Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren gave the Mariners a surprising 2-0 lead, before Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire pulled United level, forcing a tense penalty shoot-out at Blundell Park.
In a nail-biting finale, Grimsby triumphed 12-11 on penalties, deepening the crisis under United boss Ruben Amorim.
However, the fairytale win has since been clouded by controversy. Following a 1-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers over the weekend, news broke on Tuesday that Grimsby had violated competition rules during their victory over United.
The breach stems from fielding a player who was not eligible to participate, as clarified in an official EFL statement.
Replay? Not likely
Despite the infraction, Manchester United fans hoping for a rematch will be disappointed.
The EFL has precedent in such cases — notably in 2019, when Liverpool were fined £200,000 for a similar error involving Pedro Chirivella in a third-round tie against MK Dons. No replay was ordered then, and the same stance applies now.
The statement from the EFL read: “The EFL Board, acting as the Management Committee of the Carabao Cup, has today fined Grimsby Town Football Club £20,000 – of which £10,000 will be suspended until the end of Season 2025/26 – for having breached the Rules of the competition.
“The breach relates to the Club fielding an ineligible player against Manchester United in a Round Two tie on 27 August 2025. Grimsby Town progressed to Round Three following a 12-11 penalty shoot-out win at Blundell Park.
“The circumstances leading to this transgression are that Grimsby Town submitted the registration of Clarke Oduor at 12:01 pm on the day before the fixture i.e. shortly after the 12:00 pm deadline required in accordance with the 2025/26 competition rules.
“The Club self-reported the breach upon discovery the day after the fixture had been completed.
“Following a comprehensive review of all the evidence and considering prior decisions taken in respect of offences in the League Cup, the Board determined that the issuing of a fine followed precedent.
“The Board further noted the Club’s non-compliance was not deliberate with no intention to deceive or mislead. The Club has since implemented several actions to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
“The Club will be liable for the suspended sum of £10,000, if they were to again field an ineligible player in any League Competition between now and the end of Season 2025/26.”
Grimsby are unlikely to face more sanctions if they stay within the EFL regulations.
No team has been expelled from the League Cup in the competitions existence.
Shortly after the news broke, Grimsby released a statement in which they put the error down to a “computer problem”.
The club wrote: “Grimsby Town Football Club acknowledges today’s decision by the EFL regarding an error in the registration of Clarke Oduor ahead of our Carabao Cup Round Two fixture against Manchester United.”
They added: “We accept the fine imposed and fully recognise the importance of adhering to competition rules and regulations. This mistake was not deliberate, and the Club acted transparently by self-reporting the breach as soon as it came to light.
“Since this incident, we have undertaken a thorough review of our processes and implemented strengthened measures to ensure it cannot happen again.”