Shrewsbury Town fined £30,000 for fielding ineligible Player
Shrewsbury Town Football Club has been handed a £30,000 fine, with half of it suspended, after admitting to a breach of EFL Regulations for fielding an ineligible player in their recent Vertu Trophy fixture.
The incident occurred during the home match against Chelsea U21 on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, a game which the Shrews won 3-1. The sanction was imposed following an 'Agreed Decision' ratified by an Independent Disciplinary Commission Chair.
The Breach Explained
The breach centres on the selection of goalkeeper Elyh Samuel Harrison, who was on a temporary loan from Manchester United Football Club (MUFC). While Harrison’s official registration date was July 28, 2025, making him eligible for the club, Shrewsbury Town had not secured the necessary written consent from Manchester United for the player to appear in cup competitions.
Harrison started in goal for the match and played the full 90 minutes. Shrewsbury Town gained three points in the group stage format of the EFL Trophy as a result of the 3-1 victory.
Administrative Oversight
Despite checking the team sheet four times prior to the 7 pm kick-off, the club failed to identify that the player was ineligible.
The EFL Board accepted that the breach was not deliberate and that there was "no malice or intention to mislead the EFL." Instead, the issue was deemed an administrative oversight. The club's former Director of Football had verbally agreed to the necessary cup permissions with MUFC, but this agreement was not formally actioned before the fixture due to the Director's subsequent departure from the club.
Crucially, Manchester United has since confirmed to the EFL that they would have granted written permission for Harrison to play in the EFL Trophy had they been asked. This demonstrated that the two clubs' intentions were always for the player to have the necessary cup permissions.
Shrewsbury Town admitted to being in breach of Rules 7.1 and 7.2 and has taken full responsibility for the issue.
The Sanction
The total fine levied against the club is £30,000. However, £15,000 of this fine has been suspended.
This suspended portion will be activated if Shrewsbury Town fields an ineligible player in any other EFL competition match during the remainder of the 2025/26 season. The measure acts as a clear warning to the club to tighten its administrative procedures going forward.
