Altrincham's points deduction

In discussion of AFC Wimbledon's points deduction, much has been made of Altrincham's almost-identical punishment last season.

James Robinson came to Altrincham from Accrington Stanley. Before that, he'd played in Iceland. He didn't feature in any Accrington games, but - as I understand - it was they who should have obtained international clearance but didn't. Once the error came to light, Altrincham were docked 18 points, which would have been enough to demote them had other clubs (Canvey Island and Scarborough) not been forcibly or voluntarily relegated in their place.

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For me, if AFC's punishment was unjust, Altrincham's borders on the ridiculous. Being docked 18 points for your own oversight is bad enough, but for someone else's error? Come on now. Luckily, Altrincham escaped relegation, but the case is being used as a precedent for the AFC process (in a different league).