Wrexham, co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been fined £75,000 by the EFL after fielding ineligible players this season, with £25,000 of that suspended.
The breaches relate to Issa Kabore's participation in a Championship clash against Birmingham City, as well as Callum O'Hare's appearance against Millwall.
Details of the breaches
Kabore came on off the bench during a 2-1 loss to Birmingham at the tail end of August, despite his 'right to work' documents being incorrectly uploaded. O'Hare's documentation was also not uploaded in time ahead of his appearance as an unused substitute against Millwall on September 2.
A statement from Wrexham read: "We can confirm that Wrexham AFC has reached an Agreed Decision with the EFL concerning two breaches relating to player eligibility.
"The Club has been fined £75,000, of which £25,000 is suspended. The first breach relates to Issa Kabore’s inclusion in the matchday squad and appearance as a substitute in the Championship defeat against Birmingham City on Friday 28 August 2026.
"The Club held the correct right-to-work documentation for Kabore but did not properly submit it to the EFL, meaning he was ineligible for the fixture. The second breach relates to Callum O’Hare’s inclusion in the matchday squad in the Championship victory against Millwall on Wednesday 2 September 2026.
"O’Hare had not been registered in time to be eligible for the fixture. He did not feature in the match. The Club is taking the appropriate steps to prevent such issues occurring in the future."
Club response and context
A club official has also told BBC Sport that the error was not down to manager Phil Parkinson or his coaching staff, nor new sporting director Steve Nickson.
It comes as the Red Dragons have endured a tough start to the new Championship season. Having finished seventh last term and narrowly missing out on a place in the playoffs by two points, fans will have expected Parkinson to pick up where he left off.
However, it instead appears as though second-season syndrome has kicked in. At the time of writing, Wrexham sit 17th in the league standings, having achieved just three wins from their opening 12 games.
The club were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the very first-round by Middlesbrough. Up next for Wrexham is a clash with Sheffield United away from home at 8pm on Friday, October 30.
