Rotherham opt against appeal after securing survival

Rotherham United have decided not to launch an appeal against their three-point penalty for fielding an ineligible player after securing Championship survival.

The Yorkshire club were last month charged by the Football League after on-loan Derby County defender Farrend Rawson played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on April 6.

Rawson's youth loan deal had expired and, with paperwork for an extension to his stay not correctly completed, Steve Evans' men were docked three points and fined £30,000 - half of which was suspended until the end of next season.

That punishment left Rotherham just one point ahead of third-bottom Millwall with a game in hand, but a 2-1 win over Reading on Tuesday preserved the New York Stadium outfit's Championship status.

A club statement read: "We still believe the decision to deduct three points for fielding a player as a result of an honest human error, where there was no intention to gain an unfair advantage, was disproportionate.

"Our mistake did not affect the integrity of this year’s competition, but if we had been relegated in the place of a team that had secured fewer points on the pitch over the season, that would have been a gross injustice. 

"As the appeal is now academic we have decided to support others who feel that it is time to change this particular rule rather than go through the appeal process.

"We would like to thank all of those at other clubs who offered us their support and sympathy during this process. "