Grimsby Town have been fined for fielding an ineligible player in their Carabao Cup second-round win over Manchester United.

The English Football League (EFL), the body which governs the competition, sanctioned Grimsby on Tuesday with a £20,000 fine, of which £10,000 is suspended until the end of the season should they field an ineligible player again.

Grimsby were sanctioned due to submitting their registration for new signing Clarke Oduor one minute after the 12pm deadline on the day before the fixture. His registration was approved, but the timing of its submission meant, by EFL’s regulations, he was not eligible to play in the match.

Oduor was brought on as a 73rd-minute substitute at Blundell Park, and was the only Grimsby player to miss a penalty in the 12-11 penalty shoot-out victory after a 2-2 draw. The midfielder joined Grimsby on a season-long loan from Bradford City on Tuesday, August 26.

The EFL, which governs the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as the Carabao Cup and Vertu Trophy, said in a statement that Grimsby self-reported the breach of registration rules upon discovery a day after the match.

“Following a comprehensive review of all the evidence and considering prior decisions taken in respect of offences in the League Cup, the board determined that the issuing of a fine followed precedent,” the statement read.

“The board further noted the club’s non-compliance was not deliberate with no intention to deceive or mislead. The club has since implemented several actions to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.”

In a similar incident, Liverpool were fined £200,000, of which £100,000 was suspended, in 2019 after Pedro Chirivella, who did not have international clearance, came on as a substitute in their third-round Carabao Cup win over MK Dons. Accrington Stanley and Sunderland also received fines for fielding ineligible players in 2016 and 2013.

Earlier this month, non-league club Guernsey FC were expelled from the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in their 1-1 draw with Bedfont Sports, having returned to the competition for the first time in eight years after financial issues. The FA Cup is governed by the Football Association, rather than the EFL, and have taken a strong stance on the fielding of ineligible players, having also expelled Barnsley from the competition in 2023.

(Photo of Clarke Oduor: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)