Manchester United has decided not to appeal for a League Cup replay, unwilling to suffer a second embarrassment! Their opponent was penalized for being one minute late.

Manchester United declined to apply for a second-round League Cup replay after Grimsby Town used a player who was not registered on time, leading to a £20,000 fine from the English Football League (EFL), half of which was suspended.

As widely reported, Manchester United played to a 2-2 draw away at League Two’s Grimsby Town at Blundell Park and were knocked out after losing the penalty shootout. However, on Tuesday morning, Grimsby voluntarily reported to the FA regarding the participation of player Clarke Oduor in the match.

Oduor, who was loaned from Bradford to Grimsby this summer, came on as a substitute in the second half replacing George McErlain and took the third penalty in the shootout, which was saved by André Onana.

According to the report submitted by Grimsby, Oduor’s registration application was submitted at 12:01 pm the day before the match, but the rules require players to be registered by 12:00 pm on the working day before the match (usually Friday) to be eligible for Premier League, League Cup, or FA Cup games.

This means Oduor’s registration was one minute late; in fact, backend data shows it was only delayed by a matter of seconds! The English Football League confirmed in a statement that after reviewing all evidence, it was clear Grimsby did not intentionally break the rules and there was no intent to deceive or mislead.

Grimsby must pay a £10,000 fine immediately, with the other £10,000 suspended until the end of the season. If the club commits a similar offense in any EFL-organized match, the suspended fine will become payable.

The EFL statement noted: “Grimsby Town reported the breach themselves the day after the match. After a thorough review of all evidence and considering previous rulings on League Cup breaches, the board decided that a fine was appropriate and consistent with precedent. The club’s non-compliance was not deliberate and there was no intent to deceive or mislead. Since then, the club has implemented several measures to prevent a recurrence.”

Grimsby confirmed full acceptance of the fine and attributed the registration error to computer issues. “Grimsby accepts the EFL’s sanction regarding Oduor’s registration, which was submitted one minute past the deadline due to a computer malfunction that the club failed to detect immediately. We accept the fine and fully recognize the importance of complying with competition rules and regulations. This error was unintentional, and the club’s prompt self-reporting demonstrates transparency.”

Manchester United had five days to appeal, and some fans urged the club to demand a replay or even a 3-0 forfeit win over Grimsby. However, the Daily Mail confirmed that United declined to take any action. The club felt losing to a League Two side was already humiliating enough; pursuing a replay over a trivial, non-impactful issue would cause a second embarrassment and make them an even bigger laughingstock. Oduor’s involvement actually worked against Manchester United, as the Red Devils came back from 0-2 to 2-2 while he was on the pitch, and he missed a penalty in the shootout.

Moreover, the precedent cited by the EFL does exist and involves Manchester United’s rivals Liverpool. In October 2019, Liverpool fielded Chirivella as a substitute in a League Cup third-round match against Milton Keynes Dons, although he had been loaned from Extremadura in Spain and lacked international clearance. Liverpool was fined £200,000 but retained their place in the competition.

The third-round League Cup draw was revealed last week, with Grimsby set to face Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. Actually, if a replay were arranged at Old Trafford, Grimsby would likely welcome it, having already enjoyed the thrill of beating Manchester United and knowing the replay at the Theatre of Dreams could generate millions in matchday revenue, making it a win-win regardless of the result.

That said, many Manchester United fans support the club’s decision, viewing it as befitting a top club to accept defeat honorably. Some even suggest the club should cover the £10,000 fine for their opponents. Of course, there are also critics mocking: “Manchester United are just scared they’ll lose again if there’s a replay!”