Kings Park Rangers, a non-league side in Essex, could face disciplinary action after failing to field a team while mourning the death of one of their players. The club, which plays in the Eastern Counties Division One North, was scheduled to play Framlingham Town but did not raise a side.
Saburi Olayinka Adeniji, a winger for the club, died earlier this month from a catastrophic brain injury. He had been in intensive care since January 15 after suffering a severe brain stem injury, and passed away before his wife and four-year-old daughter could travel from Nigeria to his bedside. The club has raised over £17,000 for his family.
In a statement, Kings Park Rangers said: 'Having spoken to the league, we can confirm that, due to rules and regulations around the safety and integrity of the competition, we will initially be charged for not raising a side. We will be submitting an appeal and hope the league will make the right decision to allow us the time this weekend to grieve.'
The club previously explained that their priority was the mental wellbeing of their players and volunteers, adding that it would be wrong to ask individuals to play under such circumstances. League chairman Peter Hutchings said: 'We are not unsympathetic but we have to act within the league rules.'
The team is set to resume training next week, with 16 league matches remaining in the season. They continue to raise funds for Adeniji's family.
