Watford’s FA Cup replay against Tranmere Rovers has been postponed due to heavy rain.
The two sides played to a thrilling 3-3 draw after Watford coughed up a 3-0 lead to the League One side. That forced a replay, but now scheduling trouble could make things far more complicated.
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With the rain washing out the Tranmere pitch, finding a viable date before the next round game could prove daunting without simply delaying the inevitable.
We must add that the ground staff have worked tirelessly, working all hours, over the past few days in attempt to get the game on but were unfortunately beaten by the weather.#TRFC #SWA https://t.co/cw4fF2eqqv
— Tranmere Rovers FC (@TranmereRovers) January 14, 2020
The winner of Tranmere v. Watford was set to play either Wolverhampton Wanderers or Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round on January 26. However, that has now been pushed back to either February 4 or 5 to make room. Police and security usually require a week’s notice to secure a detail for a match, and with the Tranmere/Watford winner set to be the home side, there is time needed to secure a winner before the next round match.
Watford’s schedule is booked solid at the moment. The Hornets play Tottenham this Saturday and Aston Villa on Tuesday in Premier League play. The following weekend is the fourth round slate, where this postponed match is likely to fall. However, continuing to push back Cup games only causes congestion further down the road, and leaving one previous round fixture among the upcoming rounds will eventually need to be remedied.