Swindon Town Expelled from Vertu Trophy After Ineligible Players Ruling

Swindon Town have been expelled from the Vertu Trophy by the English Football League after being found to have fielded two ineligible players against Luton Town, a decision that sends the Hatters through to the quarter-finals instead.

The Robins were charged by both the EFL and the Football Association following their 2-1 victory over Luton last month. An independent commission ruled that captain Ollie Clarke should not have started the match as he was serving a suspension, while striker Aaron Drinan was brought on as a substitute despite not being named on the official teamsheet.

As a result, Luton will now face Plymouth Argyle at Kenilworth Road in the last eight. The tie will no longer take place on Tuesday, 10 February as originally planned, with the EFL confirming a new date will be announced within 48 hours.

Swindon have also been fined £40,000, with half of that amount suspended. The suspended £20,000 will become payable if the club fields or names an ineligible player on a teamsheet before the end of the 2026-27 season.

In a statement, Swindon said they were “deeply disappointed” by the outcome and insisted they disagreed with the commission’s findings, while confirming they would respect the disciplinary process.

Captain Clarke was separately handed a one-match ban by the FA last week, with the club fined £1,000 for his appearance in the fixture, which came during an earlier seven-game suspension.

Drinan, the club’s leading scorer, was introduced at half-time despite Ryan Tafazolli being listed in his place. Play continued until the 64th minute before concerns were raised, resulting in an eight-minute delay while officials consulted club staff. Drinan ultimately remained on the pitch.

Swindon manager Ian Holloway later described the situation as a “major whoopsie”, admitting he expected disciplinary action but suggesting standard pre-match verification procedures had not been followed.