Kilwinning Rangers Football Club has been instructed to replay its Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup Preliminary Round 2 fixture against Penicuik Athletic following a breach of Competition Rule 13.1.
The breach occurred when the club fielded a sixth substitute during the match, exceeding the permitted number of five nominated substitutes. This action was found to be in violation of both Competition Rule 13.1 and Disciplinary Rule 311 of the Scottish FA’s Disciplinary Rules for the 2025/26 season.
The club was formally notified of the breach by the Scottish FA Compliance Officer and subsequently attended a Principal Hearing before the Tribunal Judicial Panel. During the hearing, Kilwinning Rangers presented its case, outlining the circumstances surrounding the error in an effort to mitigate potential sanctions, which included expulsion from the competition, a financial penalty, or a replay.
The substitution error was made inadvertently during a moment of concern for player Ryan Wilson, who sustained an injury during the match. The club maintains that there is a shared responsibility between itself and the match officials to ensure adherence to competition rules The Compliance Officer has advised that the referee has been sanctioned by The SFA Refereeing Department. Nonetheless, the Tribunal determined that a “sporting penalty” was the most appropriate course of action.
As a result, Kilwinning Rangers has been ordered to replay the match in its entirety. It is noted that the sixth substitute, Jack McMahon, was on the field for approximately three minutes and had no material impact on the outcome of the original fixture.
The club wishes to extend its sincere apologies to all supporters for this oversight and assures that measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Details of the rescheduled fixture will be communicated in due course.
