Change of date for Vase tie

Wroxham have been told by the Football Association that they must play their FA Vase semi-final first leg tie at Whitehawk on Sunday, March 28. The Norfolk club had rejected a request from their Sussex opponents to move the tie from Saturday, March 27 to avoid a clash with neighbours Brighton & Hove Albion - who have a home League One match against Tranmere on the original date.

Wroxham have been told by the Football Association that they must play their FA Vase semi-final first leg tie at Whitehawk on Sunday, March 28.

The Norfolk club had rejected a request from their Sussex opponents to move the tie from Saturday, March 27 to avoid a clash with neighbours Brighton & Hove Albion - who have a home League One match against Tranmere on the original date.

But now the FA have given Whitehawk exactly what they asked for - by pushing the fixture back a day because of concerns expressed by the local council and police “in respect of traffic problems and trained stewards if the game was to remain on the same day as the Brighton game.”

The FA letter, received by Wroxham yesterday, quotes a statement by the local constabulary, saying: “Sussex Police are not able to support the tie remaining on Saturday, March 27.

“This is on the basis of your (Whitehhawk's) stewarding capabilities and the resilience of those you employ will be already engaged in duties at the Brighton match.”

The decision has left Wroxham perplexed, with secretary Chris Green commenting: “We're not going to be taking many people down and their home gates aren't very big, so I can't believe that crowd control is going to be an issue. “It's certainly not the date we would have preferred and it will be an issue so far as booking coaches.” Wroxham are at home in the second leg on the following Saturday (April 3).