Peterhead are facing disciplinary action from the SFA after fielding an ineligible player in Saturday’s 3-2 League 1 win at Ayr United.
Blue Toon central defender Reece Donaldson played in the win at Somerset Park when he should have missed the game due to suspension.
The former Raith Rovers player was sent off against Stranraer in a Scottish Cup tie at the beginning of November and was given a two-game ban, with one game to be served immediately and one in Peterhead’s next Scottish Cup tie.
The 20-year-old sat out the 1-1 home league draw against Dunfermline on November 8 but the SFA says Donaldson should also have missed out on the game against the Honest Men due to the totting up procedure throughout the season.
The Blue Toon have been served with a notice of complaint from the SFA’s compliance officer Tony McGlennan after being deemed to have breached Rule 208.
If found guilty the Blue Toon face a fine from the association.
Donaldson is also facing the prospect of an additional ban after he, too, was served with a notice of complaint for breaching the same rule while playing in the game when suspended.
The club has until Tuesday to respond with the next SFA disciplinary meeting on Thursday, December 4.
Peterhead manager Jim McInally claims his club contacted the SFA for clarification on whether Donaldson was eligible to face Ayr and was given permission to field the player by the governing body.
But the SFA claims to have no recollection of having received a call and insist the onus is on the clubs to know when their own players are suspended.
McInally said: “When the list of suspensions came out on November 6 Reece was not on the list and I called the club asking for it to be checked with the SFA.
“When we checked with the SFA we were told as he was not on the list he could play but it has since transpired that was not the case.
“This whole incident is a total mix-up which is not helped by not knowing who we spoke to at the SFA but we will narrow it down and I’m confident we will be able to show this was no more than an administrative error.”
Donaldson’s outstanding one-game suspension will be reapplied by the SFA meaning he can play in tomorrow’s home match against Brechin City.