SAFC could face £5,000 fine due to team selection

The Black Cats could be fined £5,000 for fielding an understrength side during their games against Manchester United U21s but they are still 5k up.

Lee Johnson opted to leave out the majority of his senior players during Wednesday's Papa John’s Trophy match. Denver Hume was the only ‘qualifying’ fist-team player.

The trophy’s rules state that clubs need to name four senior squad members to avoid a fine.

It’s thought Head Coach Lee Johnson may have made the decision to rest players ahead of the teams important League One fixture at Gillingham this weekend.

They were breaking competition rules, which state there must be a minimum of 4 qualifying outfield players in the starting lineup. 

Here are the rules:

• A qualifying outfield player was one who met any of the following requirements:

• Any player who started the previous or following first-team fixture.

• Any player who was in the top 10 players at the club who had made the moststarting appearances in league and domestic cup competitions that season

• Any player with forty or more first-team appearances in their career

• Any player on loan from a Premier League club or any EFL Category One Academyclub

But SAFC earned £10,000 for winning last night's match! It could be said it was a gamble that paid off...final score SAFC 2-1 Manchester United U21's