A former referee has come out in support of Southampton Rangers over the omission of a player from their teamsheet in the FA Cup first round last weekend, saying the responsibility rests with the match officials.

Rangers defeated St David’s 4-2 but it later emerged that Najiyah Raynor, who came on as a second-half substitute, was not initially listed on their teamsheet. It could put the result into question, as a similar situation happened to Dandy Town in the Friendship Trophy final in 2015 when they beat Robin Hood 4-3 but were later stripped of the title when it was discovered that second-half substitute Kevin Hurdle was not listed on the teamsheet.

Richard Knight, a referee for some 20 years before retiring in 2006, believes the onus should be on the match officials to make sure all the players are listed on the teamsheet.

“The match officials, from the referee down, should burden the responsibility for that because that’s their job,” Knight said yesterday in response to The Royal Gazette article on the controversy.

“They should make sure all the teamsheets are in order and player identification cards are there before the game starts. If a game starts and none of that’s in place, who do you blame? You don’t blame the players.”

Match commissioners were not in place when Knight was officiating. They are responsible for making sure all paperwork is in order before the game.

“For big matches like finals and semi-finals, we had fourth officials,” Knight recalled. “What the fourth official did was take care of all paperwork for players coming on the field and making sure player cards were up to date.

“When you have a match commissioner, that’s a part of his responsibility, too.

“If you are put on the field and are not on the teamsheet, that’s not the team’s fault, because he was supposed to be checked before he is even allowed to sit on the bench.”

The Bermuda Football Association has received referee Tracy Adams’s report and could make a ruling in the coming days.

The draw for the quarter-finals, to be played on the weekend of February 16 to 18, is scheduled for next Tuesday.

“The BFA should make a statement saying it’s the officials’ fault,” Knight added. “I don’t think Rangers should be worried about losing the match.”