Morton given Fifa signing ban for 'admin error'

Greenock Morton have been banned from signing new players or extending the contracts of their current squad by world governing body Fifa for what the Scottish Championship club claim was "an administration error".

But Morton hope that the ban, which was automatically enforced on 17 March after the club failed to return documentation, can be "resolved by mid-May" and "not impinge on plans for the summer transfer window".

Dougie Imrie's side will finish the current season sixth in Scotland's second tier irrespective of Friday's final game at home to Dunfermline Athletic.

Of Morton's current 20-strong first-team squad, 10 are due to be out of contract at the end of the season, with two other loan players also due to return to their parent clubs.

Morton are "working with" Fifa "to resolve an administration error leading to a temporary registration ban placed on the club", the club said in a statement.

"Following the club's requests earlier in the year to obtain the access required from Fifa to submit information as part of our compliance, the club did not receive the access required to complete the relevant process and subsequently have been issued with the ban as the documentation was then not submitted on time," they said.

"Over the last number of weeks, the club has been in close dialogue with Fifa counterparts and have been given clarity that the issue is to be resolved by mid-May after giving us access to submit the required documentation and a clear timescale of the time required to approve the documents.

"This does not impinge on plans for the summer transfer window as new players cannot be registered until June, when the next transfer window opens.

"This also does not impinge on our ability to renew contracts of players already at the club, whose contracts expire this summer."