Boston boosted as FA debt cleared

David Newton took control of Boston last year

Boston United will be allowed to keep almost �20,000 in cup competition prize money after settling a dispute with the Football Association.

The FA had been holding back the cash as a fine dating back to 2002 for financial irregularities that had not been paid in full.

But now the FA and the club have resolved the issue.

"It's really good news for the club, the fans and the players," said Boston chairman David Newton.

"Our case was that the debt was too old to actually be claimed. It had also been compromised by the CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement) for various reasons and eventually that's been accepted," Newton told BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Boston were fined �100,000 and docked four Football League points in 2002 after being found guilty of financial irregularities. The club was under different ownership then.

It was really important that the matter was resolved

Boston chairman David Newton

The Pilgrims were relegated from the Football League in 2006, but demoted to Blue Square North because the terms of their CVA administration breached football regulations.

They were further demoted to the Unibond Premier Division this summer despite coming out of the CVA two years earlier than planned.

Newton, who saved the club from going out of business in 2007, said it was nice to finally have a clean slate with the football authorities.

"It was really important that the matter was resolved. We were hoping we could resolve it without having to pay it because we didn't think for various reasons it was due and that position's been achieved," he added.

Boston recently reached the first round proper of the FA Trophy after beating FC United of Manchester in the third qualifying round - earning them �4,000 prize money.