FA Cup qualifying tie to be replayed after ref's error

Mumbalton Wanderers are furious after being informed they must replay their FA Cup qualifying match against Woodford Town due to a referee's mistake. The Redbridge-based Woodford, competing in the ninth tier, first scored a penalty but the referee overturned it for encroachment by several Woodford players and gave Mulbarton an indirect free-kick.

According to Law 14 in the football rules, the referee should have ordered the penalty to be replayed. The Football Association (FA) initially ruled that a protest for misapplication of the rules was not allowed. An FA sub-committee later reviewed the matter and found a technical error by the referee, ordering the match to be replayed.

This time, Mulbarton will host the game on Tuesday, September 29, and the result will decide the tie. The eighth-tier Norfolk side, playing in the Isthmian League North, stated that the decision is final and binding, with no right of appeal. They expressed deep upset and disappointment over the ruling and its potential impact on FA Cup matches' integrity.

Woodford, who play in the ninth tier, thanked the FA for considering the matter thoroughly and for reaching a decision that ensures the tie can be concluded according to FA Cup rules. The winners will then host Gloucester City of the Southern League Premier Division South in the third qualifying round on Saturday, October 3. The seventh-tier Woodford initially thought they would be traveling to Mulbarton, expressing frustration and disappointment for their supporters who had already planned around the fixture.

They also thanked all supporters for their patience and understanding during the situation's resolution. A non-league fixture in 2006 is believed to be the first in English football replayed because of a referee's error, with a similar FA Vase tie also replayed last season after a referee's mistake over a penalty shootout.