HOCKEY: WINNINGTON Park men's team have won promotion - six weeks after their final game!
They were third when their season finished in mid-April, but by then they had already lodged a protest after Timperley 2nds played seven ineligible players in their 5-0 victory over them.
The North West League investigated, discovered other similar offences and wielded the disciplinary measures in
the rule book - deducting 53 points from Timperley's record, which meant they were relegated and instructed them to play Winnington again.
They delayed the rematch so long it could not be staged and appealed to the Northern Counties HA, who this week
ruled Timperley should lose only three points while Winnington were awarded the game at issue 3-0.
The points lifted Park from third to second and, in their centenary year, back into North League Division Two, unless Southport, originally second and now third, lodge their own appeal.
Park secretary Edward Broadhurst said: 'We realised they were playing first teamers before the start of the game and brought it to the attention of the umpires at half time when we were 2-0 down.
'If Timperley had put on their 2nd teamers then we would probably have said no more about it, but their attitude was not the best.'
