Jack Wilshere and Ian Holloway expect the EFL to investigate an ineligible player ‘mistake’ as Swindon beat Luton 2-1 in the EFL Trophy.
Swindon substitute Aaron Drinan was incorrectly listed as Ryan Tafazolli on the official electronic teamsheet submitted prior to kick-off.
Drinan came on at half time, but it wasn’t until the 64th minute when the error was spotted, leading to an 8-minute delay. He was then allowed to stay on.
Swindon boss Ian Holloway said it was a “major whoopsie” by officials, criticised the electronic system, and expects the English Football League to take action against his club.
Luton boss Jack Wilshere said he trusted the EFL to reach the correct decision after an investigation.
Wilshere said to BBC Three Counties Radio: “Whatever the rules are the rules are. I felt like the decision could have been made quicker – seven, eight minutes it’s either we’re carrying on or we’re stopping – but the EFL will investigate it and they’ll come to the right decision.”
Holloway told BBC Radio Wiltshire: “I offered to take Drinan off and Jack [Wilshere, Luton head coach] went, ‘well that’s not his fault is it just get on with it’.
“There’ll be some sort of action because something’s gone wrong.”
Holloway added that the officials didn’t ask him to verify the team on a screen before kick-off, as he argued is usual protocol.
“When we used to write the teamsheet down it was never wrong, was it?
“But when they get it on an iPad and it’s not shown to us, how can I say that is my team and I haven’t checked it?
“No one’s checked it and it’s too late to check it when the game’s gone on and they noticed it because one of their staff noticed it.
“It’s a major whoopsie I would suggest from the officials – is that us, is that them?
“They’ve got to have a right good look at themselves. Why don’t we go back to the written ones?”
Geoff Doyle said via Twitter: “So drama then in the EFL trophy match between Luton Town and Swindon. Swindon at the moment are through because they won 2-1 but I’m sure the EFL are going to have to investigate and decide what they’re going to do about the incident that occurred at half time.
“This is what I can gather has happened. The team sheet was handed in by Swindon and it didn’t have Aaron Drinan’s name on it, it had Ryan Tafazolli’s name on it.
“Now the other team sheet that was sent to the media did have his name on it.
“However, that’s not the official team sheet. And the team sheets have changed these days. I’ve been doing this long enough now.
“In the old days, they would be written out and they would be handed into the officials. By one of the coaches, you’d just hand your team sheet in, a bit like grassroots football, which you have to do and hand over to the opposition manager, you hand it into the officials.
“Nowadays, it’s done on an iPad. And so they put it on an iPad and it gets sent to the officials. And then the iPad is in the officials room and they’ve got a list of the squad, the players and the substitutes.
“Now, obviously his name isn’t on that list, Drinan, and then he comes on at half time. And I think this is where it’s probably why it’s taken so long is because it was a half time substitution, the board went up at half time and maybe they didn’t really look to see who was on it and what the number was.
“If it happened in play, then it might have brought the officials attentions a little bit earlier to realise.
“Well, hang on a minute, he’s not on our list. Whereas at half time, maybe it just got passed by because it was on the stroke of halftime and three of them came on.
“So that’s maybe why it took so long for the officials to realise that the mistake had been made. The mistake was made, I think straight away once they realised, in Holloway didn’t know that his name wasn’t on the sheet, was the first he heard of it.
“He immediately said to Jack Wilshire, I’ll substitute him back off again if you want. Jack Wilshire said, no, don’t bother with that. So we carried on.
“However, the repercussions are that Ian Holloway’s called it a massive whoopsie and that it’s wrong and so something will have to happen.
“Jack Wilshere spoke about Chris Powell saying to him before kick-off, Drinan’s not in their squad, he’s their best player. I don’t understand that. So they didn’t realise. I can’t see how they can get away with it. They didn’t even know that he was on the bench. So I’m sure there will be punishment.
Holloway offered to substitute Drinan back off when they all realised the mistake he wasn’t on official team sheet.
Can’t see how they won’t get disqualified despite beating Luton – even a Swindon player admitted that as walked past me after in tunnel. #Hatters @BBCSport3CR pic.twitter.com/mwYgxmsu1a
— Geoff Doyle (@GeoffDoyle1) January 13, 2026
Still waiting for post-match interviews.
One things is for sure, I’m keeping this Luton v Swindon team sheet. Could be a collector’s item pic.twitter.com/irW9tIeXXj
— James Cunliffe LTFC journo (@LutonJournoLTFC) January 13, 2026
Social media users reacted as Jack Wilshere and Ian Holloway expect the EFL to investigate an ineligible player ‘mistake’ as Swindon beat Luton 2-1 in the EFL Trophy…
@WarwickshireRed: What an absolute load of crap. It’ll be a fine for an admin error. Supposed to be a team that’s recently been in the premier league and you’re all having a meltdown about an admin error. Give your heads a wobble.
@ian4downton: Honest error or not surely the Luton match night at least has to be replayed, if Swindon aren’t disqualified that is. Either a player is on the teamsheet or not. What a precedent for @EFL to set if this is swept under carpet… especially in Cup competitions.
@RFCjoseph: Might be the most embarrassing way to go through. No way Luton fans are trying too 😭
@RufcKris: 4 officials didn’t spot this. Especially the 4th. What is his job if not to double check?
@mattjohnson333: I find it baffling this happens at a professional football club. I ran my own club on my own and yes it’s stressful but surely the 4th official could have clued them up? I mean he literally stands there doing nothing all game. Does he not have a roll to play in this to.
@SN1Insider: Best assessment I’ve seen #stfc
@Cal_1996: Hope they get a fine and result stands. Lack of quality all over the pitch and no depth on the bench to change the game.
@AlfieStfc: I don’t think much will happen with the drinan case to be honest. I think it was just an honest admin fault and put tafazolli instead of drinan
@MartinEcott1: Let’s hope not. We’re clearly not interested. They wanted it let’s not have it taken away from them over a technicality. Hopefully they will go on and win it. They showed the commitment that’s required. Unlike half the Luton team that put the shirt on.
@hussla4: How on earth did he get on the field if he wasn’t on the team sheet? That isn’t our problem. This is the problem with iPad & pick lists. That never would have happened with written team sheets. That said, no surprise it happened with the competence of the officials tonight. You also can’t tell me that we wouldn’t have named Aaron Drinan in our squad … It’s not cheating. It’s incompetence from the officials and depending on the facts (which we don’t yet know) and the processes possibly others. We named the bloke to the world at 17:45
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