Sports25 September, 20262 min read
Football Association Orders Mulbarton Wanderers Vs Woodford Town Replay After Referee Error
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FA ordered Mulbarton Wanderers–Woodford Town replay after refereeing error in the 30th minute. Mulbarton and Woodford Town defeated 2-1 but victory nullified and replay arranged following protest.
Replay ordered after Law 14
The Football Association ordered an FA Cup second qualifying round tie between Mulbarton Wanderers and Woodford Town to be replayed after a refereeing error in the 30th minute of the original match. Woodford scored a penalty that was ruled out for encroachment, and the referee then awarded Mulbarton an indirect free-kick instead of ordering a retake under Law 14.
Mulbarton had won the tie 2-1 on the day, but an FA sub-committee found a technical error by the referee and ordered the match to be replayed on Tuesday, 29 September. Mulbarton said the replay decision could have “wider implications regarding the finality of results” and the “integrity of the game as a whole,” while Woodford said the decision “ensures the tie can be concluded in accordance with FA Cup rules.”
Clubs trade blame in statements
Mulbarton said it was “deeply upset and disappointed” after the FA ordered the replay, and the club argued that the referee’s handling of Law 14 should have either allowed the goal to stand or ordered a retake. Woodford said it raised concerns regarding the application of Law 14 after a penalty awarded to Woodford was scored but subsequently disallowed, with an indirect free-kick awarded to Mulbarton for encroachment.
The FA sub-committee concluded that a “technical error had been made by the referee,” and it determined that the correct outcome under Law 14 should have been either the awarding of the goal or the ordering of a penalty retake. Gloucester City’s third qualifying round tie became uncertain because Gloucester City would only know their opponents after the replay, with the replay set for Tuesday night at Mulbarton’s Abode Arena.
Third round stakes and precedent
The winner of the replayed fixture will host Gloucester City in the third qualifying round on Saturday, 3 October, with the FA Cup tie now hinging on the outcome of the replay. The BBC framed the decision as a potential precedent by asking whether a replay could be ordered in leagues that use video assistant referee (VAR), noting that “there were 25 VAR errors last season.”
The BBC also pointed to the International Football Association Board’s position that a match is not invalidated because of “wrong decision(s) involving the VAR,” while it contrasted that with the FA Cup replay tied to a technical error in the application of Law 14. Mulbarton’s statement emphasized that the decision was “final and binding, and there is no right of appeal,” as the clubs prepared to settle the tie again at Mulbarton’s Abode Arena on Tuesday, 29 September.