PORTHMADOG are considering further legal action after they were ordered to pay £3,000 costs following their failed appeal against a three-point deduction for racist abuse.

The Traeth club were ordered to pay the FAW’s appeal costs as well as the original £1,000 fine, while the loss of three league points was also upheld at the hearing in Cardiff yesterday.

A £12,200 suspended fine, which would have been a threat up to the end of the calendar year, was lifted.

The club was charged after a fan racially abused a linesman during the home game with Cwmbran Town in December.

Porthmadog’s secretary Gerallt Owen said: “We are devastated by the outcome of the appeal, because now we have to find £4,000 to cover the fine and costs.

“The real financial penalty could go beyond that when failure to qualify for the Premier Cup is taken into account – and also the danger of relegation.

“We have indicated to the FAW that we are considering taking the matter further, to arbitration, but that would involve even more expense and clearly we are having to pause to gather our thoughts on that.

“We are being punished three or four times over for what was a single mad moment by one individual, whom we dealt with straight away.”