THE Worcester and District Football League is clamping down on persistent offenders by cancelling their registrations for up to two years.

Former Huddersfield Town midfielder and Malvern Town assistant manager Darren Bullock and ex-Town defender Wesley Joyce are the first two players in the league to fall foul of a new Football Association directive that allows a league to ban players from playing in their competition.

A league can cancel a player’s registration if they are banned for more than 112 days for two or more offences over a two-year period from the date of the first offence.

Bullock, who has begun a five-match ban received while playing for Midland Combination Division One side Archdales, has recently completed a 35-day suspension for his latest sending off for Worcester Sunday Premier Division outfit AFC Heenans.

Joyce, however, is in the middle of an 84-day ban picked up while playing for Division One side Bridge Rangers.

But the Worcester League are warning more players are facing the same fate as Bullock and Joyce with Division Two’s GDL Athletic goalkeeper Barry Milton possibly next after beginning an 84-day ban after completing a 35-day suspension from league action earlier this month. Secretary Tim Phillips said: “For a number of seasons the Worcester League has refused the registration of any player who had accumulated in excess of 84 days suspension in a season while playing in the league.

“A recent directive from the Football Association to County FA’s and leagues amended the criteria to allow leagues to refuse the registration of any player who had accumulated in excess of 112 days suspension over two or more offences in a period of two years or less.

“It came to our attention that both Bullock and Joyce had accumulated more than the 112 days suspension in the relevant periods.

“Any other player in the Worcester League who accumulates over 112 days suspension in future is likely to receive the same course of action.”

Both players are now unable to play for a Worcester League side until the start of the 2012-13 season.

Anyone banned from playing in the league are eligible to register with a club in another competition.

Both Bullock and Joyce were given seven days to respond to the course of action but did not reply but they are still able to appeal to the Worcestershire FA over the league’s decision to ban them.