Cove Rangers review options after registration ban and £5,000 fine

Cove Rangers are reviewing their options after an SPFL tribunal imposed a player registration embargo lasting until 31 May 2027 and a £5,000 fine. BBC Sport reported that the sanctions followed breaches involving a contractual payment to a player and the Scottish League One club’s reporting of its financial obligations.

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According to the SPFL statement carried by the BBC, Cove admitted that a payment had not been made when it was due and that they had failed to inform the league of the default. The club was also found to have supplied incorrect information when declaring that no money was overdue to current or former players as of 31 January 2026.

Of the £5,000 fine, £2,000 has been suspended. The league said the player concerned has now received the full payment. The sanctions therefore address both the missed payment and the club’s handling of its reporting responsibilities.

In a statement published on 1 October, Cove said the case concerned a contractual payment dating from 2024 and associated reporting issues. The club expressed disappointment at the severity of the punishment and said it was examining the decision. Its statement did not announce an appeal, leaving its next course of action unconfirmed.

The announcement comes a day after Cove confirmed the loan signing of 19-year-old striker Miller Keir from Inverness Caledonian Thistle until January. In that announcement, the club said Keir had scored 28 goals in 33 Highland League appearances during the 2025/26 season before moving to Inverness over the summer.

On the pitch, Paul Hartley’s side have collected five points from eight League One matches. The SPFL table places Cove ninth, one point above bottom club Queen of the South and two behind Peterhead in eighth.

Cove’s next scheduled league match is away to Queen of the South at Palmerston Park on 3 October. Their October programme then includes a home meeting with East Fife, a trip to Peterhead and fixtures against East Kilbride and Airdrieonians, according to the SPFL’s published schedule.