Mulbarton wins FA Cup replay before record village crowd
Norfolk club Mulbarton Wanderers defeated Woodford Town 2-0 in an FA Cup replay watched by a record 806 supporters. The Football Association ordered the match to be replayed after a disputed penalty decision in the original tie, generating unusual attention for the non-league club and setting up a home meeting with Gloucester City.
Mulbarton Wanderers reached the third qualifying round of the FA Cup by beating Woodford Town 2-0 in a replay watched by a record 806 supporters. The Norfolk village club had introduced advance ticketing after what it described as unprecedented demand for the unusual fixture. The replay was ordered by the Football Association following a refereeing error in the teams’ original meeting.
Ashley Jarvis scored both goals in Tuesday’s match. The result earned Mulbarton £3,375 in FA Cup prize money and secured a home tie against Gloucester City in the next round. Mulbarton had won the original match 2-1, but Woodford appealed after the application of the Laws of the Game during the first half.
With the score 0-0, Woodford were awarded a penalty, but the kick was disallowed because players had encroached into the penalty area. Instead of allowing the penalty to be retaken, the match was restarted with a free-kick to Mulbarton. Woodford, a London club playing in a league below Mulbarton, appealed the decision, prompting the FA to order a replay and move the match to Norfolk.
The decision brought international attention and encouraged a much larger crowd than would normally be expected for a non-league fixture. Jarvis said the whole village had attended and that the team was delighted with the result. Joint first-team manager Danny Self praised the supporters, while fellow manager Ben Thompson said their backing would be needed again against Gloucester City.
He described the forthcoming match as the biggest in the club’s history and called the fans its “12th man”. The victory leaves Mulbarton one win away from a possible place in the FA Cup first round proper. That stage could bring a meeting with an English Football League club, including Sheffield Wednesday or Leicester City, according to the supplied report.
For now, attention turns to Gloucester City and another home crowd. The replay has transformed a disputed local fixture into a significant moment for the village club, which will seek to continue its run in the competition.
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