FA Trophy Game Abandoned After Losing Team Suggest Sub Referee Had Been Drinking

An FA Trophy contest was abandoned with just seven minutes remaining on Saturday, after the losing side complained that a substitute referee plucked from the crowd had been drinking.

Colwyn Bay were 2-0 down to Altrincham Town in the third qualifying round match when the original referee suffered a calf injury that left him unable to continue.

As relayed by Altrincham's Twitter account, a tannoy announcement was made asking for any qualified referees to step forward, but, even when a potential replacement was found in the stands, Colwyn refused to play on—claiming that the man had been drinking.

An offer from Altrincham assistant manager Ian Senior to serve as an assistant linesman, so one of the other officials could step up as referee, was also rejected.

Colwyn Bay manager Frank Sinclair, formerly a professional with the likes of Chelsea and Leicester City, told the BBC's Non League Show: 

"

You can't just have any Tom, Dick or Harry come in and finish the last 10 minutes of the game.

There was no-one on our side that had any officials' badges. One of their staff said he would see the rest of the game out with no qualifications. It's human nature that if there was a big decision to make, we wouldn't have got it.

I've been within my rights to not agree to carry on.

"

Altrincham chairman Grahame Rowley told the BBC that he hoped his side would be awarded the tie as they had been leading at the time of the abandonment, but the Football Association said they would not make a decision until they had been presented with all the facts.

"There was an announcement asking if there was an official," Rowley told the BBC. "We put forward a fan [to run the line], who is a level-five qualified referee. Colwyn Bay turned that down.

"We put forward our assistant to run the line. They refused that. They would not put forward anyone themselves. It's a poor show."

However, Sinclair appeared to have little time for such complaints—taking to Twitter to hit out at those suggesting that his side refused to play on because they were losing.

The FA is likely to make a decision over the next few days, with the match potentially being replayed, or the final seven minutes completed, in midweek.

James Walshaw and Greg Wilkinson had scored Altrincham's goals before the referee suffered his injury.