Football Association lift Beckenham Town ban

BECKENHAM TOWN’S five-year ban from competing in FA Competitions was officially lifted last week.

The Eden Park Avenue club received confirmation from The Football Association that at their meeting last Monday the Vase committee unanimously agreed to allow the Bulmers Cider Kent League club to apply to enter next season’s FA Vase competition.

Unfortunately, this still means that the club will have to wait a further season before being allowed back into the FA Cup.

It‘s not been as easy return for Becks. Although their ban officially ends at the end of this season, the Football Association delayed giving them final approval until they had sought references from the Kent League, the Kent County FA and had a meeting with club at the Football Association‘s headquarters in Soho Square.

The severity of Beckenham‘s ban arose initially from their fielding an un-registered player, believed to be striker Paul Vines, in the FA Vase against fellow Kent Leaguers Lordswood back in September 2004.

Although the club appealed against the allegation, the Football Association were not satisfied with the content of the club‘s appeal which lead to them being fined £1400 and banned from competing in the F.A. Vase for five seasons and from the FA Cup for six.

Beckenham have made two unsuccessful appeals in the third and fourth years of their ban, but both have been turned down by the Football Association.

The club‘s secretary Peter Palmer, commenting after the FA announced their decision, stated "Unquestionably, a huge and unquantifiable amount of damage has been caused by the ban. Hopefully, at long last we can move forward and put this matter behind us,” he told the club's official website - www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk.

Article courtesy of www.beckenhamtownfc.co.uk