THE Football Association has ruled on the missing strip saga raging between Beckenham Town and the Kent League, with both club and governing body claiming victory.

The story began in October when the league match between Beckenham and Erith Town was called off and Beckenham were held responsible.

The Kent League ordered the three points should be awarded to their opponents and Beckenham were slapped with £500 in fines and £600 in expenses.

The club's appeal against the punishment failed so they approached the country's most senior football body and last week a meeting was held between the FA, Beckenham club secretary Peter Palmer and the Kent League chairman Denise Richmond.

Mr Palmer and Ms Richmond were questioned and the FA ruled the match should be replayed which a delighted Beckenham see as vindication and the Kent League see as a simple variation on their original ruling.

Ms Richmond said: "The FA did not disagree with us and said the blame still lies with Beckenham Town. They have varied our original decision but the fine and the expenses remain the same."

Mr Palmer said: "The FA could not understand the Kent League's decision to punish us so heavily. If we had had no intention of playing the game we could have rung up at 1pm and said we'd been involved in a car crash or something like that.

"But our players were on the pitch warming up and we were doing our very best to get a kit to the ground so we could play."

He said: "I phoned our press secretary who lives in West Wickham and he picked up a kit in Keston and made his way to Erith, unfortunately he got stuck in traffic in Bromley.

"But the Kent League did not believe I was on the phone to him and I was fabricating the whole thing.

"The FA asked them if they thought I was on the phone to my girlfriend and they said they did not know, it was incredible as they were basically calling me a liar."

He added: "The thing is, if they thought I was on the phone pretending to get a kit sorted out, it means my original appeal to the Kent League was a waste of time as they had already made up their minds."

Ms Richmond said: "At the club's appeal to the Kent League we asked questions and then took more than half an hour to make a decision.

"There were three people on the commission who looked at all the evidence before coming to a decision."

She added: "The original punishment was in no way as severe as it could have been. If a club cannot fulfil a fixture they can be docked a total of six points and be fined up to £1,000."

She added: "It is all water under the bridge and a decision has been made.

"Unfortunately for Beckenham there are more teams in the league than themselves."