Bedford furious as FA takes six months to ban player for Hereford six-pointer

Bedford Town have blasted the Football Association after a shock late suspension for striker Callum Ebanks – meaning he will miss the relegation six-pointer against Hereford.

The Eagles revealed on Sunday that Ebanks, on loan from Buxton, has been hit with a three-match ban over an incident dating back to October. The decision was only communicated this week – six months after the alleged offence.

Bedford said the delay left them “astonished”, with the forward now ruled out of three key National League North fixtures at a decisive stage of the season.

In a strongly-worded statement, the club also highlighted the timing of the decision, which came after the league’s registration deadline – meaning they have no chance to bring in a replacement.

Buxton, Ebanks’ parent club, were first informed by the FA before passing the information on, with both sides scrambling to deal with the fallout.

Bedford have confirmed they will write to the FA to formally complain, warning the handling of the case risks impacting the integrity of the National League North campaign.

Ebanks only joined Bedford in December, arriving from Buxton until the end of the season. The 23-year-old forward, formerly of Cheltenham Town, has also had spells with Eastleigh, Bromsgrove Sporting, Evesham United and Bath City.

Bedford sit 19th with 47 points from 42 games, while Hereford are 22nd with 38 points from 39.

The two sides meet at The Eyrie on Saturday 11th April in what will be a huge game at the wrong end of the table.