Mulbarton Wanderers have been ordered to replay their FA Cup second qualifying round tie against Woodford Town after the Football Association ruled that a refereeing error affected the original match.
The Norfolk club secured a 2-1 away victory over Woodford on Saturday, but the result was challenged following an incident in the 30th minute.
Woodford converted a penalty, only for the referee to disallow the goal because several of their players had encroached into the penalty area. Instead of ordering the kick to be taken again, the official awarded Mulbarton an indirect free-kick.
Under Law 14 of the Laws of the Game, a penalty scored when an attacking player encroaches should be retaken. Woodford subsequently lodged a protest with the FA over the incorrect application of the rule.
The FA initially indicated that a protest based on the misapplication of the Laws of the Game was not permissible. However, the case was later examined by an FA sub-committee, which concluded that the referee had made a technical error and ordered the entire fixture to be replayed.
The new match will take place at Mulbarton’s ground on Tuesday, 29 September, with the tie to be settled that night.
Mulbarton, who compete in the eighth-tier Isthmian League North, said they were deeply disappointed by the ruling and concerned about its impact on the club. They also questioned what the decision could mean for the finality of future FA Cup results and the wider integrity of the competition.
The club said the FA’s ruling is final and binding, leaving it without a right of appeal.
Woodford, who play one level below Mulbarton in the Essex Senior League, welcomed the FA’s review and said the replay would allow the tie to be completed in accordance with FA Cup rules.
The unusual decision has also affected Gloucester City. The Southern League Premier Division South club had expected to travel to Mulbarton in the third qualifying round but must now wait for the replay to determine their opponents.
The winner of Mulbarton against Woodford will host seventh-tier Gloucester on Saturday, 3 October. Gloucester acknowledged the disruption for supporters who had already made arrangements for the original fixture and asked for patience while the situation is resolved.
Replaying a match because of a referee’s technical mistake remains extremely rare in English football. A non-league fixture in 2006 is believed to have been the first English match ordered to be played again for such an error, also involving a successful penalty that should have been retaken.
A similar situation occurred in the FA Vase last season, when a tie was replayed following a refereeing mistake during a penalty shootout.