Pontypridd United: Cymru Premier club hit with second points deduction

Pontypridd have been deducted a total of nine points this season

Pontypridd United have been docked a further three points for fielding an ineligible player.

The Cymru Premier strugglers had already been deducted six points for the rule breach in a previous ruling.

The additional three points are to cover a match during the 2022-23 season missed by the original disciplinary hearing in December.

That ruling included the threat of a further 135-point deduction, but that has been amended to 75 points.

The additional sanction sees Pontypridd United drop one place in the second phase play-off conference and are now only ahead of bottom-placed Colwyn Bay on goal-difference.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) set up an independent investigation that found Pontypridd guilty on all 18 charges against them.

They included a failure to correctly register James Saddler, who played 13 games in the Cymru Premier while ineligible.

But the original ruling had only taken into account 12 games, prompting the latest additional three points.

Pontypridd were previously found guilty of non-payment of monies owed to players and failure to comply with contractual player obligations.

The panel also imposed a two-window transfer ban, leaving the south Wales club unable to buy in players until January 2025.

A further 135-point deduction was suspended to the end of the 2024-25 season.

However, the independent arbitrator, David Phillips KC, has admitted he "misinterpreted" Cymru Premier Rule 14.1 and reduced the suspended deduction to 75 points.

In a statement, Pontypridd United said: "The club are again disappointed by this decision, which did not result in any sporting advantage."