Overview
- The FA has ordered Mulbarton Wanderers and Woodford Town to replay their second qualifying round FA Cup tie at Mulbarton on Tuesday, 29 September after a sub-committee concluded the referee made a technical error.
- Mulbarton had originally won 2-1, but the decision followed a 30th-minute incident where Woodford’s scored penalty was disallowed for encroachment and the referee wrongly awarded Mulbarton an indirect free-kick instead of allowing the goal or ordering a retake under Law 14.
- The FA first rejected Woodford’s protest before escalating the case to a sub-committee, which reviewed video, club submissions and referees’ comments and ruled the misapplication of the law required the match to be replayed; the decision is final and not subject to appeal.
- Mulbarton said it was ‘deeply upset’ by the ruling and warned about wider implications for the finality of results, while Woodford thanked the FA for ensuring the tie is concluded under the competition rules; the replay winner will host Gloucester City on Saturday, 3 October.
- The ordered replay is rare in English cup competitions and raises questions about how the FA’s review process will affect lower‑league clubs’ fixtures, travel, finances and the perceived finality of match results going forward.