The FA has confirmed that it has rejected the appeal made by Droylsden that being expelled from the FA Cup for playing an ineligible player in the replay against Chesterfield was an excessive sanction.
It means that the Spireites can now focus fully on this Saturday's third round tie against Ipswich Town at Portman Road, kick-off 3.00pm.
This weekend's cup tie is also one for the record books as it is the first ever meeting between the two sides and the only club of all 92 league clubs that Chesterfield, the fourth oldest club in the country, have never ever played before in all of their 142 year history.
It's all pay on the day for Chesterfield supporters attending this match, there are no tickets on sale in advance. Admission prices:- Adults £15, Concessions (Senior Citizens 60+, 16-19 years and full-time students) £6, Juniors U16 £2.
True Blue Travel is running at least five coaches to the match after early booking was urged in view of the tight timescales - the club shop is now closed until 9.00am Friday 2 January 2009. For those travelling by car Ipswich Town has advised that there is plenty of car parking in the area surrounding the ground. Rail travellers will find that Ipswich railway station is also close to the ground.
Summary of the FA Cup saga
The 2008-09 season FA Cup second round matches between Chesterfield and Droylsden will go down as another remarkable chapter in the history of the FA Cup, sponsored by EON.
The first game at Saltergate on Saturday 29 November 2008 was abandoned at half-time due to fog with Droylsden winning 1 nil. The re-arranged game on Tuesday 9 December 2008 ended 2-2 but only after the Spireites sportingly allowed Droylsden to walk-in an equalizer after Jack Lester inadvertently scored when passing back from an injury stoppage.
The third game at the Butchers Arms ground on Tuesday 16 December 2008 was mired in controversy when the floodlights failed 18 minutes from the end with Chesterfield coasting to a 2 nil victory. The replay one week later on Tuesday 23 December 2008 then ended in a 2-1 victory for Droylsden against 10 man Chesterfield after Jack Lester was red-carded.
Celebrations turned to despair next morning with the realisation that Droylsden had fielded Sean Newton, scorer of both goals, when he was due to be suspended from 23 December for accumulating five yellow cards.
There followed an FA investigation and the rest, as they say, is now history with Droyslden expelled from the competition confirmed for fielding an ineligible player.