Stranraer Football Club has been ejected from the Scottish Cup after being found to have fielded an ineligible player in their previous round match. The League Two club's appeal against the charge was unsuccessful. This decision means Stranraer will forfeit their place in the fifth round, where they were scheduled to face Rangers. Queen's Park, who Stranraer defeated in the previous round, will be reinstated into the competition to take their place.

The ineligible player in question is Lyndon Tas, a 17-year-old goalkeeper who signed on loan from Hearts on the same day as the rearranged match against Queen's Park. While Tas made some impressive saves during the match, including stopping a penalty in the shootout, he was deemed ineligible because he was not registered by the date of the original fixture.

According to Scottish Cup competition rules, any new player must be registered by the date of the original tie, unless signed on an emergency loan. The Scottish FA determined that Tas's signing did not qualify as an emergency loan, leading to Stranraer being in breach of competition rule 12, specifically section 12.5. The charge stated that Stranraer listed Tas on their official team line for a rescheduled match when he was not eligible to be listed on the team line at the originally scheduled date, and he was not a recognised goalkeeper pursuant to an emergency temporary transfer approved by the Scottish FA Board.

Stranraer FC released a statement acknowledging the breach of regulations and accepting responsibility for player registration and selection. The club stated that they acted quickly and in good faith to recruit a goalkeeper on loan, with assistance from Heart of Midlothian, due to having only one goalkeeper in their playing squad. They believed the circumstances surrounding the breach were unfortunate and exceptional.

The expulsion is a significant blow for Stranraer, as it not only ends their Scottish Cup run but also deprives them of a potentially lucrative match against Rangers. The club has expressed its disappointment for its supporters, staff, volunteers and players.

Queen's Park will now advance to the fifth round to face Rangers at Ibrox.