A VALLEY Express Kent Youth League under-14 football team have been banned from the competition for five years.

Milton Athletic lost an appeal to the Kent County FA about a disputed penalty shoot-out at their Under-14 Cup final against Erith & Belvedere at Woodstock Park on April 23.

Milton originally thought they had won the shoot-out but the league ordered the two sides to start the sudden death process all over again – this time with Erith coming out on top.

After an incident at the end of the final, which has seen the league retain the club’s deposit to pay for damage caused to the cup by a spectator, Milton subsequently withdrew their under-14 side from the league for next season.

But the club have now been told to forget about re-applying at any age group for five years.

Milton secretary Paul Duffin said: "The ban has effectively killed off our youth system. We are down to just our senior first team now and the league’s decision may have serious long-term consequences for our club.

"I have been with Milton for 16 years and I can’t condone some of the behaviour after the match but five years seems an excessive length of time.

"After the penalty shoot-out finished 4-4, the referee said that the same five players from each club would contest the sudden death shoot-out.

"We won 6-5 and began celebrating and 15 minutes later the league decided we would have to take the penalties again but with different players.

"We were stunned by the decision. How can you prepare 13-year-olds to resume a shoot-out when they have been celebrating winning the cup for 15 minutes? It was impossible."

In his report, to be presented at the annual meeting on Wednesday, league chief executive Colin Boswell says: "I wish to inform the membership that the appeal by Milton Athletic against the decision made by the Kent Youth League management committee on the day of the final has been dismissed by the Kent County FA and their appeal fee forfeited.

Mr Boswell, who needed an escort to his car after the final, admitted giving serious consideration to quitting football administration