More Good Work at the FA

You have to wonder why the FA seem so keen to make their own lives so difficult. As you may be aware, non-leaguers Havant and Waterlooville have earned a dream tie at Liverpool having beaten Swansea 4-2 in a thrilling replay. One of their number, Justin Gregory, has since picked up a fifth yellow card and thus a suspension that rules him out of the dream game. However in an act of non-league collaboration and decency that would be totally alien to clubs at the top, fellow blue square side Thurrock agreed a date for their own re-arranged fixture to take place before the FA Cup tie. Therefore Gregory could serve his one match ban and be free for the literally once in a lifetime match at Anfield. However in their infinite wisdom, the FA have over-ruled the two clubs, stating that the suspension will be held over to the Liverpool game, as the scheduling of this match is a deliberate attempt to overcome it.

Well, so the fuck what.

I'm sorry to get too offensive, but this kind of bollocks from one of the most inefficient, disorganised and poorly managed organisations in the country is really beginning to piss me off. The Havant and Waterlooville team, is not a team of superstars; it is a team of men just like me, who do regular day jobs and dream of playing in matches like this. They thoroughly deserve this opportunity, and for a bunch of cretins to intervene to take that away from the young man is an utter disgrace. Had he been sent off, or committed a dangerous tackle then maybe, but I reiterate, the suspension is for FIVE bookings over the course of a season. That they further interfered after Havant and Thurrock amicably arranged this fixture is nothing short of pathetic. Thurrock were happy, presumably Liverpool had no objections, yet the FA couldn't keep their noses out. Personally, I would prefer it if the FA was taking more notice of the lack of talented young footballers coming through in this country, rather than generating unneccesarry red tape and ill-feeling with this kind of nonsense.

In any case, the game at Thurrock went ahead last night, only to be abandoned due to floodlight failure. Despite the lights being repaired, the ref steadfastly refused to re-start the game. A convinient stoppage that, as Gregory notes, "gets the FA out of a hole". Best of luck to Havant at the weekend, hopefully those who do play will savour the experience. As for Justin Gregory; if he has a parachute jump booked in for this week, perhaps best to re-arrange, as luck clearly isn't his friend at the moment!