IT has been a tough first season back in the second tier for Birmingham & Solihull.

On the field there has been the obvious problem of not having enough talent in their squad to win a match.

That would have been enough to leave them at the bottom of the pile on its own, but their off-field problems have only made it worse.

A lack of cash — caused in part by a planning application to turn their home ground into housing being turned down — led to them going into voluntary liquidation in the autumn.

Under league rules, that saw the Bees handed a 15-point penalty — only six of which they have managed to claw back on the pitch.

But with every side due to start from zero in the play-offs, head coach Russell Earnshaw could have been forgiven for thinking life was suddenly going to get better when the end-of-season competition starts next weekend.

However, his side fielded an unregistered player in the league against Doncaster last month and will have two points deducted at the start of the relegation play-offs.

George Thomas, who had been on loan with Loughborough Students, was not registered to play for the Sharmans Cross outfit against the Knights.

As if two points deductions in a season weren't enough, there is a third penalty hanging over the club as well.

During their match at Coventry last month both sets of players got involved in a mass brawl, with both sets of replacements also weighing in.

The RFU took a dim view of that and fined both clubs £1,500 for bringing the game into disrepute, as well as giving them both a five-point deduction suspended for 12 months.

Bees hooker Stuart Philpott was also banned for two weeks for his role in the brawl.

It was all supposed to be so much better as Earnshaw guided his side to the National League Two title last season while playing an expansive brand of rugby.

Former Bristol winger Simon Hunt chalked up 31 tries and the Midlanders were hopeful they would be able to do themselves proud at the higher level with the same style.

The fact that it hasn't turned out that way is partly due to their money woes, as a host of players walked out on them after not being paid.

But Earnshaw added to his squad before January's transfer deadline and his new recruits immediately showed their worth as the Bees avoided defeat for the only time so far this season when they drew 31-31 against the Cornish Pirates at Camborne. They still have a long way to go, however.