The FA Cup second round has undergone a makeover after Barnsley were ousted for fielding an ineligible player in the last stage of the tournament.
The League One outfit will be replaced by the team they beat in the first round, Horsham. The non-league minnows lost 3-0 in a replay at home to the Tykes after drawing 3-3 at Oakwell but have now received an unexpected second chance in the competition.
"A Professional Game Board Sub-Committee has removed Barnsley from the 2023-24 Emirates FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player during their First Round Proper Replay against Horsham on Tuesday 14 November 2023," read an FA statement. "The FA alleged that the player was ineligible for this Replay, as he was not correctly registered and eligible for the original First Round Proper match on Friday 3 November 2023, which constitutes a breach of FA Cup Rule 103."
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The result will come as a shock to both teams, though the Hornets will be overjoyed with the outcome. Regardless of how they reached this stage, it will be just the second time the club has made it past the first round proper.
"Barnsley admitted this charge and acknowledged that the breach had occurred," the FA statement continued. "The Sub-Committee’s members ordered that Barnsley be removed from the competition, and that Horsham be awarded the tie and progression to the Second Round Proper."
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Dominic di Paola's side will now face League Two Sutton United on December 2 when they get another chance to progress in the cup. They'll travel to Gander Green Lane with a renewed sense of optimism having seen justice served by the lawmakers.
Barnsley issued an apology via the club's official website to say sorry to their fans for a 'regrettable error'. It's yet to be revealed whom the ineligible player in question was, with the only information suggesting it was due to an 'administrative error'.
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A message from the third-tier outfit read: "This mistake - although unintentional - falls way below the high standards we set at this club and is simply not what you deserve. We have already conducted a full internal investigation and have subsequently put safeguards in place to ensure this will never happen again."
Horsham chairman Kevin Borrett was humble in his response to the development and wished Barnsley "every success in their pursuit of promotion back to the EFL Championship." And the non-league's clubs fans were understandably elated at the sudden twist.
Numerous Tykes fans wished Horsham well on their FA Cup journey after the Hornets confirmed they were back in the hunt for silverware. "Hope you beat Sutton in the next round," wrote one king-hearted commenter. "Cannot believe the shambles our club is in."
Another Barnsley supporter replied: "Good luck v Sutton lads - we are a joke but I’m sure every Barnsley fan wishes you well."
