CHAIRMAN Kevin Jenkins lifted the lid on the nerve-wracking moment Worcester Raiders received an email that would decide their destiny and insisted: “Justice has been done.”

It was the morning after Jenkins had attended a personal hearing with the West Midlands (Regional) League over the abandonment of the match at Bustleholme in March.

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Raiders had led 3-1 in the second minute of added time when a brawl broke out involving players and staff of both clubs and members of the crowd, prompting referee Peter Durnall to call a premature halt.

The result was temporarily scrubbed and as it panned out, Raiders needed the points they had been on course to earn to topple Darlaston Town at the Division One summit.

An FA Disciplinary Commission found charges of failure to control players, staff or spectators proven against both clubs as well as a separate charge against Bustleholme manager Scott Holden.

The standard code of rules that applies to the WMRL state “the management committee shall rule that neither team will be awarded any points for that competition match and it shall not be replayed” for fixtures abandoned “owing to the conduct of both teams or their club member(s).”

Jenkins could hardly bring himself to look when the decision landed but it was good news for Raiders as league chiefs opted to warn both clubs as to their future conduct and allow the result to stand, sending the title and single promotion place to Claines Lane.

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“I couldn’t open the email for five minutes,” said Jenkins.

“I work for myself in a workshop, Paul Loader (secretary) was here when the screen flashed.

“Paul said ‘open it’ and I just couldn’t. I was so scared because nine years of hard work came down to the contents of that one email, it was judgment day.

“Eventually I opened it but then took ages to open the attachment. When we saw we would get the points it was a huge release.

“I have a bad back and am due to see the chiropractor this week but I ran out into the courtyard and the pain left me for a minute.

“One of the lads who works in the unit next to us asked what the matter was, I told him we had got the points and couple more came out to see what was going on.

“Everyone had a bit of a hug and a moment, Loader as well. He has been there pretty much from the start. It was surreal to be honest and it still hasn’t quite sunk in.

“Chris (Cornes, assistant manager) came down after work, he got out of his van and just walked over and gave me a big hug, no words. A lot of it was quite emotional.”

It is unknown what Darlaston’s take on the call will be, particularly on the back of the ongoing investigation into allegations and counter claims of racism and violence made in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw at Claines Lane in February.

“I think justice has been done,” added Jenkins.

“At our hearing Neil Juggins (chief executive, WMRL) said ‘we are not here to judge you or talk about fans entering the field of play because that has been dealt with. What we have to make a decision on is who was the catalyst, we are here to determine how it started’.

“I had four points. That Worcester Raiders had been open and honest, that there had been provocation as we walked away, that none of the match officials had implicated Worcester Raiders as having started or caused anything at any point and that the (FA) commission’s feedback said the abandonment may not have happened had Scott Holden not entered the field of play.

“If they (Darlaston) go to the FA there is nothing we can do about it, I think we have to brace ourselves for that but we have proved we were not the catalyst.”