Cod Almighty | Diary
Multiple balls
6 November 2020
So another year of Town trying to perfect Pisces' prophecy begins in London, with a first round FA Cup tie against two teams: Dagenham and Redbridge.
What with Covid and all that, Thunderdiary was interested to know whether there would be any replays, having heard this may be the case. With no luck trawling the usual sites, I happened across an imposing 31-page document: Rules of the FA Challenge Cup competition ("the Competition")
Sure enough, there on page eight, buried within Section 10:
10 (e) In the Competition Proper: (i) when a match is drawn after 90 minutes, an extra 30 minutes shall be played (of two equal halves of 15 minutes).
If level, of course, there's then spot-kicks, which means Town will know on the day if they've made it to a lucrative second round draw against the likes of Ipswich. Or lost on penos.
The FA Cup rules are a fascinating document in truth. There's a Covid clause:
7 (f) If a Club may not be able to compete in a match on the date scheduled for the match for reasons due to COVID-19 (including but not limited to on the basis that a significant number of its players have tested positive for, or are showing symptoms of, COVID-19 or a local lockdown has been imposed which prevents the Club from playing), it must inform The Association as soon as it becomes aware of the relevant circumstances. In such circumstances, and subject to Rule 11 below, the Professional Game Board shall take such action as it deems appropriate (in its absolute discretion).
But the rest of it is reassuringly quaint. Did you know, for example, that the home club can claim up to £75 for the use of floodlights from the match receipts? And did you know the ref gives the signal for when they come on?
13 b (ii) The Referee will decide at what point in the game the floodlights shall be switched on. This will necessitate a discussion with responsible Officials of the competing Clubs before the game, when a signal must be agreed.
Hopefully we will get to play Forest Green in a later round because:
13 (e) In rounds prior to the Semi-Finals, the Multiple Ball System (where more than one ball may be used in a match) will not operate in ties.
Referees are discussed at length, including the fact they get half their match fee plus expenses if a match is called off (it doesn't say what the fee is, but for the 4th qualifying round it's £150). Also, if a local match official calls off the game - ie not the ref - they get a neat £50.
Speaking of money, if there had been spectators, then you can't charge less than £10 to get in (excluding concessions) and match receipts are halved after expenses. Together with floodlights these include:
22 (a) The net gate receipts due from a match shall be the total ticket sales for the match less VAT, the travelling (and possibly accommodation) expenses of the Visiting Club, the fees and expenses of the Match Officials, and other match expenses allowed under the Competition Rules (which include costs relating to gate attendants, turnstile operators, stewards, police charges, floodlighting in accordance with the Competition Rules, contributions to the costs of First Aid Helpers and any costs relating to clearing the ground of snow and water provided the Visiting Club is consulted beforehand on the approximate costs).
Travelling Expenses must not exceed £3.00 per coach mile for same day travel and £6.00 per coach mile where an overnight stay is agreed. When travelling by rail, the cost of 25 standard class fares at the cheapest available rate may be claimed.
Hotel Expenses are only allowed if it would be necessary for the visiting club to leave its headquarters before 8.00am on the day of the match in order to arrive at the venue for the match no less than 90 minutes prior to the scheduled kick - off, based on reasonable travel time only and shall not exceed £100.00 per person for up to 25 persons.
Police charges (net of VAT) of policing the match may be deducted. First aiders get £20 (£22 in London) and there must be at least three.
Whether these expenses are still deducted from the streaming receipts is unclear, although I'm sure Town, with their £143,000 sitting in the bank and Holloway's hundred grand soon to follow, wouldn't need to claim the mileage.
Speaking of the boss, with tomorrow's game being the first of three non-league (in the cup sense, not the Parslow Point one) games in a row, the pressure should be off somewhat and Holloway can tinker all he wants until the next league encounter in a fortnight.
With James Tilley out for a few weeks, Owura Edwards still sore and Our ‘Arry Clifton battered and bruised, it may be a different team for all three of those games. With James Hanson missing until after lockdown, Holloway will have to find somebody else to rise like Matt Tees and nod Town into that second round.