SHAWBURY United have hit back at online critics after being found guilty by the Midland Football League of fielding three ineligible players in a relegation scrap towards the end of last season.

League officials found the club – eventually relegated back to the Premier Division of the West Midlands Regional League – guilty of playing Judd Ellis, Jordan Jones and Reis Mahey under false names at home to South Normanton Athletic on May 3.

The club admitted Ellis, of Northern Premier Division One side Market Drayton Town, was not registered before the cut-off date for new signings, a discrepancy United say came to light after the game.

But the Shropshire side claim they were forced to admit the charges relating to Jones and Mahey, under threat of a football ban, because of the intransigence of the authorities upon learning the two players in question could not attend a hearing.

“Those are two lads that have played for us all season,” said Shawbury manager Dave Richards. “Jordan Jones had even played in the [reverse] fixture at South Normanton. They wanted us to drive one player [Mahey], who was working away, for two hours on a Wednesday to attend a hearing at 6pm, and the other player only heard about it when he was on holiday.”

Richards believes a third club informed South Normanton his team had drafted in ‘ringers’ to win the relegation six-pointer, which ended in a 3-1 victory to United in front of 36 spectators.

“The South Normanton staff were taking photos of all of our players,” said Richards, “even Reis, who signed for us from Shifnal Town [the previous] November and who’s played 33 games for us. They singled out five or six of our players.

“We asked the league to show us what evidence they had and they refused. When we knew the players couldn’t attend the hearing, we sent copies of their driving licences so they could compare them to the photos they had.”

United accepted a three-point penalty and paid a fine of £100 per player.

An extraordinary statement tweeted by the club on Monday said: “If any club wishes to comment on the integrity of Shawbury United, then please get in touch... There are many discrepancies (some honest and some dishonest) that occur on any given match day in every league throughout the country, so if anyone residing in social-media world truly believes that Shawbury United are single sinners in a whiter-than-white football universe, then please check that your glass house is particularly stone proof.”

The club will again groundshare at Ludlow FC’s SBS Stadium this season as the tenants await completion of their new stadium, set for the start of the 2019-20 season.

United start pre-season at home to Worcester City on Saturday (ko 3pm), host Telford United on Thursday July 19 (ko 7.45pm) – in a Shropshire Senior Cup semi-final carried over from last season – host Bromsgrove Sporting on Saturday, July 21 (ko noon) and face Rock Rovers at Harper Adams College on Wednesday, July 25 (ko 7pm) before hosting Telford United under-18s on a date to be fixed.

West Midlands League Two sides Church Stretton and Ludlow have also announced pre-season dates. Church Stretton visit Churchstoke on Sunday, July 22, Snailbeach on Wednesday 25 and Wellington on Friday 27.

Ludlow kick off at Pegasus Juniors on Saturday, July 21; host Coven Athletic on Wednesday 25, Presteigne on Saturday 28 and Wellington reserves on Tuesday 31; before visiting Bartley Reds on Saturday, August 4.