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Dunfermline's transfer ban will remain in place until at least the end of the year following a Scottish FA disciplinary hearing.

The Pars were already subject to a Scottish Football League-imposed ban on signing players over the age of 21 whilst they remain in administration.

And the SFA says the embargo should continue until the end of 2013.

The club's administrator Bryan Jackson described the hearing as "fair" and said an appeal was "unlikely".

"They adequately took into account the specific circumstances that we face at Dunfermline," he explained on the club's website.

"I recognise that they had to impose a penalty on the club for going into administration and believe that the transfer embargo until 31 December 2013 on players aged over 21 matches, to an extent, the existing SFL sanctions and is a reasoned response from the SFA.

"Whilst we are awaiting the written official judgement it is unlikely that we will be appealing this decision."

Dunfermline suffered a 15-point deduction after entering administration.

They ended the league season second bottom of the First Division, consigning them to a relegation play-off against Second Division Forfar Athletic.

Forfar have the upper hand in that tie, having won the first leg 3-1 on Wednesday.

"The club is going through difficult times both on and off the pitch and I hope that we can now put these issues behind us and continue the battle to keep the team afloat financially and win in the play-offs," added Jackson.