Sorry to go over old ground but it has just occured to me that there is a likely flaw with the so called rule 6.8. I believe the rule states that a team is deducted any points gained in any matches fielding a player without clearance.

What if a team fields a goalie (who has not got clearance) in just one match which they lose 1-0, but that goalie saves a last minute pen. At the end of the season that team stays up on goal differance (by one goal). Surely the that player has affected the outcome of the entire season but the team will not have to surrender any points and possibly will just be fined???

As I say sorry to be boring but now I've got it off my chest!

The rule is a joke. The rule assumes that you only got the points because that player took part, but it makes no concession for the fact that had he not played, your opponents might have forced a different outcome.

So you're being punished, but so are the opponents because they're not given compensation for the points they otherwise might have won. This could have affected both promotion and relegation issues.

The bottom line is that it should be up to the authorities to check international clearance and give the green light to the club.