Needham Market were due to have played away at Weymouth in the FA Trophy on Saturday. It appears they travelled down to Weymouth, but the match was postponed relatively late due to a waterlogged pitch.
The FA have ruled that the match has to be replayed tomorrow night (Tuesday). Because of the distance involved, the Needham players coach would need to leave at 11am and wouldn't get home until around 5am on Wednesday morning. Their players are all part time, and the club feels it is unreasonable to expect them to book two days holiday so close to Christmas. It is unfair on the players' employers as well as the players. Given weather forecasts, Needham aren't confident that the game would even go ahead on Tuesday.
Needham have asked the FA to arrange the replay for a Saturday between now and the next round, but the FA have refused. In response, Needham have issued a statement that they now wish to pull out of this season's FA Trophy, handing a bye to Weymouth into the next round. It also means Needham can't recover any of the costs from their aborted coach trip on Saturday.
What a mess, and you have to feel sorry for Needham in all of this.
Could the FA Trophy be restructured?
Why not start the competion earlier in the season and then spread the rounds out more?
Why not then have a window either side of the Christmas period when clubs play league matches only? Reduced travel during bad weather periods for clubs like Needham. Plus reduced pressures on groundsmen to get pitches playable for extra unscheduled matches during the winter.
Why not have a 10 day gap between initial round dates and replay dates? Recognise that players are often part time and give them more chance of getting time off work. Same applies to supporters.
I'm sure the competition used to be more spaced out than it is now.
