ALL 25 members of a junior football league committee have quit after a Bolton team expelled for “undesirable conduct” won an appeal against the ruling. The shock stance by the Bolton, Bury and District Junior Football League came after an FA hearing upheld an appeal by Moses Gate Juniors.

The FA said that a special general meeting of the league in August, which banned the team, was unconstitutional.

Defending the subsequent resignations of the league committee members, chairman Warren Barlow said: “This has been poorly dealt with by the FA. It’s quite damning.

“The whole committee, as one, says this is an appalling and wrong decision and that’s why we have to resign en masse.”Although the committee has stood down, it will help in any transition to avoid potential disruption to the league, with 520 teams and 7,000 players from under sevens to under 18s.

Meanwhile, Moses Gate officials have welcomed the FA’s decision.

The team, which has squads for under 8s, 11s, and 12s, involving 60 youngsters, had earlier been summoned to the special general meeting of the league, where members voted to expel the club on the grounds of “undesirable conduct”

following allegations of abusive behaviour, bullying and player ineligibility.

But an appeal hearing at the Lancashire FA offices in Blackburn on Friday decided the club should have been given more time to present its case at the expulsion meeting and ruled that the club be allowed to play in the league.

News of the league committee’s wholesale resignation was posted on its website, saying it felt “completely let down by the FA”.

Part of the statement read: “The committee voted unanimously that, to allow Moses Gate back in the league, would go against everything they stand for and as such made the decision that their position was untenable.”

Arshia Hashmi, legal representative for Moses Gate Juniors, said: “Our successful appeal was on the basis that the league had acted unconstitutionally on the night and the FA upheld our appeal. That decision is final and binding and there is no right of appeal.”

Asked about the earlier claims of “undesirable conduct”, she added: “Our club has been afforded ample opportunity to rebut these.”

Miss Hashmi said of the league committee’s resignations: “It’s unfortunate they feel they have to take this action, but at the end of the day, it’s entirely up to them.”