THE extraordinary ban imposed on Spennymoor United by the Football Association for the first two weeks of the season, lifted only on Thursday last week, was all because of a 'misunderstanding' by an un-named FA official.

Spennymoorsecretary Brian Boughen said: "An FA official somehow gained the mistaken impression that Spennymoor United FC was being run by a limited company and not a members club as it has been in the past.

"While it has been our intention for some time to make the transfer to a limited company, this has not yet taken place."

The ban not only prevented Spennymoor gaining revenue from the four league games they were prevented from playing, they also lost £7,000 in shirt sponsorship and more than £2,000 in ground advertising.

"It remains to be seen how much of that we will recover," said Mr Boughen.

In addition, the club had to employ solicitors to fight their case with the Football Association.

"We have not yet got the bill, but it is bound to be substantial," said Mr Boughen.

"From our point of view, the solicitors told the FA nothing different from what we said earlier, yet the FA believed them and not us."

The FA lifted the ban on condition that the new arrangements had to be in place by September 30, which is exactly the date that Spennymoor had been working to before the FA's intervention.

"It has been possibly the worst period I have ever had in football," said Spennymoor's manager Tony Lee.

Lee gave his players permission to play for other clubs while the ban was in operation, provided they did not get cup-tied. His policy paid dividends as Spennymoor romped to a 4-0 victory at home to Consett in their first game of the season in last Saturday's FA Cup preliminary round.

"I could not have asked for more from the players, they responded magnificently," said chairman Barrie Hindmarch.