The FA has wiped out Mulbarton's 2-1 FA Cup win over a referee's error. The tie is replayed at the Abode Arena on Tuesday; the winners host Gloucester City.
Mulbarton Wanderers must play their FA Cup second qualifying round tie against Woodford Town again, after the Football Association ruled that the referee got a penalty decision wrong.
Mulbarton won the original match 2-1 at Woodford on Saturday 19 September. The replay is at Mulbarton’s own ground, the Abode Arena at Mulberry Park, on Tuesday 29 September at 7.45pm. Mulbarton is about five miles east of Wymondham.
Both clubs published statements on Thursday 24 September. Mulbarton’s statement on X says the club is “deeply upset and disappointed by this decision”.
What the referee got wrong
The dispute is over one moment in the 30th minute. Both clubs describe it the same way.
- Woodford Town were given a penalty, and scored it.
- The referee then ruled the goal out because several Woodford players had encroached into the penalty area.
- Instead of ordering a retake, he gave Mulbarton an indirect free kick.
Under Law 14 of the game, that is not an option. Mulbarton’s own statement accepts that it was “an incorrect application of the competition rules under Law 14”, and that the referee “should have allowed the goal to stand or ordered a retake”.
Woodford’s match report records the rest of the game. Woodford scored three minutes before half-time. Owen Lane equalised from a free kick midway through the second half. Nathan Stone scored the winner for Mulbarton in the 97th minute.
How the FA reached its decision
Mulbarton’s statement sets out the order of events:
- Woodford Town lodged a protest with the FA after the match.
- The FA first said that a protest over a misapplied rule was “not permissible”. Mulbarton says it agreed with that.
- After a further objection from Woodford, the FA referred the case to a sub-committee of the Professional Game Board.
- Mulbarton took legal advice and made what it calls “robust representations” for the result to stand.
Woodford’s club statement says the sub-committee considered video footage and letters from Woodford, information from Mulbarton, the match officials’ observations, and comments from the FA’s referees team and its Head of Refereeing.
The sub-committee concluded that the referee had made a technical error. The FA ruled that the match “was not completed in accordance with the 2026/27 FA Cup Rules” and ordered it to be replayed in full.
Mulbarton says the decision is final and binding, with no right of appeal.
What each club says
Mulbarton’s statement goes further than the result. The club says it is concerned about “the potential wider implications regarding the finality of results for any FA Cup match in the future played by any team and the integrity of the game as a whole”.
Woodford Town thanked the FA “for its thorough consideration of the matter, and for reaching a decision that ensures the tie can be concluded in accordance with FA Cup rules”.
What is at stake
The FA’s third qualifying round draw, made on 21 September before the ruling, already lists “Mulbarton Wanderers v Gloucester City”. The winners of Tuesday’s replay take that home tie on Saturday 3 October.
The FA says the winners of each third qualifying round tie receive £5,625 from the competition’s prize fund, and the losers £1,875.
It has been a big year for the club. It won the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division last season, along with the league’s Challenge Cup and the Norfolk Senior Cup, and now plays in the Isthmian League North.
What it means for you
- The replay: Tuesday 29 September, 7.45pm, at the Abode Arena, Mulberry Park, The Common, Mulbarton, NR14 8AE.
- No second replay: Woodford’s statement says the tie will be decided on the night, with extra time and penalties if needed.
- Tickets already bought for the Gloucester City game: Mulbarton says it will contact everyone who has bought a third round ticket “in due course”. Keep hold of yours until the club says what happens.
- Before then: Mulbarton are at home to Felixstowe and Walton in the league on Saturday 26 September, kick-off 3pm. The club lists prices of £10 for adults, £7 for over-65s and 16 to 21-year-olds, and £2 for under-16s.
Check Mulbarton Wanderers’ website and its X account for ticket details for the replay. The club has said more information will follow in the coming days.
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