Longlevens Reserves promoted to the County League following successful appeal – will the league make changes?
Longlevens Reserves are to be promoted to the Gloucestershire County League following a successful appeal against the league and the Gloucestershire FA.
Following their 2-0 win over Wessex Wanderers in May, a complaint was filed against Longlevens for potentially playing an ineligible player.
The initial decision was to replay the play-off game in June, which would have gone against FA guidelines and rule B21 that states games cannot be sanctioned in June without special permission as long as games are in accordance with the “Regulations for the Sanction and Control of Competitions” and approved by the FA.
Longlevens appealed the decision to replay the game one month after the season had ended and their appeal was heard by an independent FA appeals commission on Friday.
In a statement released by Longlevens, the club said:
The club’s appeal against the GFA NLS Promotion Pathway Competition was heard yesterday by an independent FA appeal commission. The club disputed a decision made by the competition with respect to an alleged ineligible player in the play-off match on the 13-May-2026 between Longlevens Reserves and Wessex Wanderers, and the ordering of a replay.
The grounds of the appeal by the club was on the basis that the competition:
- failed to give the Participant a fair hearing;
- misinterpreted or failed to comply with the Rules and/or regulations of The Association relevant to its decision; and
- came to a decision to which no reasonable such body could have come.
The Appeal Commission upheld the appeal on all Grounds.
In order to make this decision, the Appeal Board, in accordance with Regulation 21 of the Non-Fast Track Appeal Regulations, order the following:
- The result of the match on the 13th May is to be re-instated.
- The fine of £20 is the be refunded.
The Appeal Board’s decision is final and binding on all parties.
Written reasons of the decision by the appeal board will be requested by the club and be available at a later date.
The Appeal Commission’s decision will be a massive blow to the Gloucestershire County League, who were overturned following an appeal earlier this year against the decision to grant a side permission to sign on NINE players as an exception ahead of a cup tie.
In that appeal, the County League were found to not be following previously set precedence and whilst not all nine players were involved in the cup tie, the game was ordered to be replayed.
After we had contacted both the County League and GFA, the league remained silent which resulted in our previous post regarding the County League.
There were comments suggesting that Severn Sport were only questioning the County League because it is Longlevens and I am aware of the whole “Severn Sport & Butler love Longlevens” line, I get it, but anyone who knows me and actually speaks to me at games about issues in local football, will know that I have hated the promotional play-offs and everything they stand for since I found out that Cheltenham Civil Service would have to play them back in 2022.
For those that don’t know, Civvy had to scrape sides together, lost both play-offs and then THE NEXT DAY were told that a side had withdrawn from the league, so all three sides in the play-offs would be promoted.
Chalford went unbeaten on their way to win the GNSL title in the 2022/23 season before being beaten in their play-off games and had to dust themselves down and go again – which they incredibly did to win the league again and ultimately get over the line a year later than they should have done.
In the 2024/25 season, Tewkesbury Town and Whaddon United went at it hell for leather before the former secured the title, but they too were subject to a four way play-off this time, with the inclusion of Bishops Cleeve Development from the Hellenic League.
Those play-offs were tarnished after the County League/FA between them granted permission for Cleeve to include two players in their squad, one of which turned out to be ineligible after missing the season with an injury meaning he hadn’t played enough games to be eligible.
That incident then saw the process change, as before this season every side had to submit squads to the league for eligibility checks, however this season this did not take place.
Those last five sentences sums up how much of a mess the promotional play-offs are making year upon year and as someone who loves grassroots football in Gloucestershire, I implore the decision makers within football to make what appears to be an absolute no brainer.
I hope common sense prevails here and both Longlevens Reserves and Wessex Wanderers are allowed to compete in the County League as ultimately both clubs have been let down massively by those above them.
