I think it's pure and simple incompetence and you can see how it's happened. JAQ and Neerav both super accomplished in their chosen fields but thy are novices at running an English football club, and Khaled is demob happy and likely has his eye massively off the ball. If the boot was on the other foot I wouldn't have a clue about how to run a fashion business in New York and similarly it's unsurprisingly that those guys don't understand the governance structure or case law in English football, compounded by the unfortunate fact that the guy who they appointed specifically to know that stuff has his head up his arse and one foot out of the door.
They didn't even inform the fa. According to our leaders at the fans forum Horsham wanted a replay with us but the bent FA declined
Personal opinion - which will probably be unpopular. We played an ineligible player. We were rightly removed from the cup and the tie awarded to Horsham. Forest Green played an ineligible player. They should also be remove from the cup and the tie awarded to their opponents. No opportunity to replay. This would be the same if it was Horsham or Manchester City, first qualifying round or final. If a team plays an ineligible player they are out of the cup. The rules have to be consistent, proportionate and applied to all. We are in a situation with the FGR precedence where a lower league team could deliberately play an illegible player against a Premier League opponent and then tell the FA and have it replayed for a double share of the gate receipts...
I might be mistaken but I think our error was just that OUR error but forest green it was that hull didn't complete the necessary paperwork for Jones to play in the cup but forest green thought that they had as that is what hull told them so the other wasn't really on their part as such even though in the end it was them playing the ineligible player
I've made my peace with it. We failed to take the Horsham home tie seriously enough and ultimately got what we deserved, albeit via a convoluted route. Leaving your top scorer (by some distance) on the bench until the 86th minute isn't the way win a cup tie. It's disrespectful to the opposition and to the tournament.