FA Cup: Jersey Bulls and Sutton Common Rovers to play replay in UK

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Jersey Bulls regularly play in front of crowds that number more than 1,000Image source, Frank Pilnick
Image caption,

Jersey Bulls regularly play in front of crowds of more than 1,000 at their Springfield Stadium

Jersey Bulls have given up home advantage for their FA Cup second qualifying round tie against Sutton Common Rovers.

The two sides will play again at the VCS Community Stadium having drawn 2-2 there on Saturday, live on BBC Sport.

FA Cup rules state island clubs can only play midweek replays at home if both sides agree, but logistics mean Sutton Common are unable to travel.

The game will be played on Tuesday, 21 September at 19:30 BST.

The winners of the tie will host eighth-tier Chertsey Town on Saturday 2 October in the third qualifying round.

In a statement Jersey Bulls have called on the Football Association to change their rules on replays for clubs from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

"This ruling effectively means that no matter how far an offshore club, such as Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man progresses, they will never play a home midweek game in the FA Cup.

"The club understands that teams in tier one to tier eight are already required to play away from home in midweek against offshore clubs who come into their league and would like to request that this is mirrored in the FA Cup."

The Bulls had already won three games to get to the second qualifying round and are the competition's top scorers, with 21 goals in four matches.

"We are disappointed for the island and the footballing community as a whole that we won't have the opportunity to host the FA Cup replay this week in Jersey at Springfield Stadium," Jersey Bulls' statement added.

"The commitment from our travelling support, players and management team is outstanding. We are very proud of the dedication and passion they have for their island."

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