A Norfolk village club, Mulbarton Wanderers, has set a record crowd of 806 supporters in a FA Cup replay match against Woodford Town. The match was played on Tuesday and ended with Mulbarton Wanderers winning 2-0. The victory earned the club £3,375 in FA Cup prize money and a place in the third qualifying round. The match drew international attention after the Football Association ordered the original tie to be replayed due to a refereeing error.
The replay was ordered by the FA after Woodford Town appealed over the way the Laws of the Game had been applied during the original fixture. Mulbarton had won the initial meeting 2-1, but the controversy occurred when Woodford were awarded a penalty in the first half with the score still 0-0. The penalty was disallowed after Woodford players encroached into the penalty area. However, instead of allowing Woodford to retake the penalty, the match was restarted with Mulbarton being awarded a free-kick.
The FA's decision to order a replay and switch the fixture to Norfolk generated far greater interest than a normal non-league fixture. Mulbarton had introduced advance ticketing for the replay because of what the club described as “unprecedented demand” following the attention surrounding the fixture. Ashley Jarvis scored both goals for Mulbarton as the Norfolk side completed the replay victory.
The victory was celebrated by the village, with joint first-team manager Danny Self praising the supporters after the match. “We’re over the moon that we’ve given the fans something to shout out about. Their support was incredible to have,” Self said. The club’s other joint manager, Ben Thompson, urged the supporters to return for the next match against Gloucester City, describing it as “the biggest game in our history.”
Mulbarton Wanderers will host Gloucester City in the next round, with Thompson urging the supporters to return and help the team achieve another victory. The match is expected to be the biggest game in the club's history, and the supporters will be needed to help the team secure a win. The replay against Woodford Town has given the club a boost, and they will look to build on this momentum in the next round.
The result means Mulbarton are now one victory away from potentially reaching the FA Cup first round proper, where they could face an English Football League club, including Sheffield Wednesday or 2021 FA Cup winners Leicester City. However, the immediate focus is on Gloucester City and another home crowd. The club will need the support of their fans to achieve another victory and progress in the competition.
The FA Cup replay match against Woodford Town has been a significant event for the village club, with a record crowd of 806 supporters attending the match. The victory has earned the club £3,375 in FA Cup prize money and a place in the third qualifying round. The club will look to build on this momentum in the next round against Gloucester City.
Key points
- The FA Cup replay match was ordered due to a refereeing error in the original fixture.
- Mulbarton Wanderers set a record crowd of 806 supporters in the FA Cup replay match.
- The club earned £3,375 in FA Cup prize money and a place in the third qualifying round.
