After being thrown out of the Hereward Cup, stripped of the PFASenior Cup and docked six points in the league for fielding ineligible player Richard Jones, boss Shaun Greetham has decided to withdraw his team in disgust at the decision.

He said: "I am very, very upset by the whole situation. It feels like we have been kicked in the teeth.

"We only moved up to the Premier Division to make up the numbers and help the league out and this is how we are repaid. I think it is disgusting. There are lots of United Counties League players in Sunday morning football and yet just because our player has signed a bit of paper we lose out big time.

"We had won the PFA Cup and were in the final of the Hereward Cup and yet now we have got absolutely nothing. That is too much to take and I have withdrawn the team from the league with immediate effect."

The situation came to a head after Netherton were beaten 1-0 in the final of the PFA Cup by Burghley two weeks ago.

The league were alerted that the Stamford side had fielded Jones, a contracted player with UCL side Blackstones.

Under Peterborough Sunday Morning League rules players who have signed contracts with non-league clubs are not allowed to play in their league.

Once the league confirmed that rule 8A had been broken, Burghley were immediately kicked out of the Hereward Cup final against Netherton and deducted six league points.

Now Greetham has warned the league that unless their rules are clarified, other teams could fall foul next season.

He said: "I have since looked at the rule book and it is just not clear what it means. Even if I had known that Richard had a contract I would still have played him as I would have assumed contracted meant professional.

"And if it was such a big deal why was it not picked up back in November when we could have taken the penalty and still had a chance to win something.

"That it has happened like this after a complaint from a beaten team, who we beat 4-0 in the league without Jones, is very hard to take."

It now looks likely that Netherton will be awarded the PFA Senior Cup while the two teams beaten by Burghley en route to the Hereward Cup final - Deeping Sports and Jubilee North End - will play one another to decide which meets Netherton in that final.

But despite the league's hard-line stance, when informed of Burghley's decision to quit, chairman Fred Johnson immediately called for Greetham to reconsider his position.

He said: "It is with real regret that I learn the news of Burghley's withdrawal and I hope they change their minds. But the rules are clearly set down and as we all know the game is governed by rules on and off the pitch, without them the whole thing falls down."