Northampton to lodge formal complaint to EFL over Scunthorpe selection

Northampton Town plan to lodge a formal complaint with the English Football League because they believe Scunthorpe United’s team selection at Bristol Rovers compromised the integrity of the final day in League Two, which saw Rovers beat Northampton to the final automatic promotion place on goals scored.

It is understood Northampton, who won 3-1 at Barrow last Saturday, have raised concerns with the EFL and the Football Association about the circumstances surrounding a wild final day. Rovers were promoted on goals scored, with their 71 superior to Northampton’s 60, after the clubs finished level on points and goal difference. Northampton face Mansfield in the playoff semi-final first leg on Saturday.

Rovers went into the final day needing to overturn Northampton’s five-goal advantage and scored five second-half goals to win 7-0 at home to Scunthorpe, who named seven teenagers in their starting lineup and four players from their Under-18s side, including 17-year-old first-year scholar goalkeeper Owen Foster. Scunthorpe were relegated last month and finished the season with four wins, one of which was away from home.

Scunthorpe made three changes from their previous game against Hartlepool, with second-year scholar Oliver Lobley, whose own goal gave Rovers the lead at the Memorial Stadium, making his league debut. As at home to Hartlepool, Liam Feeney, 36, and Anthony Grant, 34, started on the substitutes’ bench. The average age of the starting lineup was 20.

EFL guidance states that from the fourth Thursday in March, any team sheet for a league game should include at least 10 outfield players who featured on the team sheet for the previous league game. Scunthorpe adhered to such instruction.

Rovers will be investigated by