Plans to stage the Shropshire Senior Cup final before the start of the season were today shelved after the world’s oldest competition was hit by a flood of problems.Shropshire FA bosses were locked in early morning talks today to solve a scheduling headache after freak storms hit last night’s two semi-finals.
Shrewsbury managed to edge through their last four clash with Market Drayton when Michael Symes’ injury time winner gave them a 3-2 victory - but only after a 10-minute delay due to a power failure.
But the real dilemma for county football chiefs came at the New Bucks Head where Telford’s match with Bridgnorth was abandoned after just two minutes when a torrential downpour left the pitch resembling a lake.
That game will now be replayed on Thursday - subject to an early morning pitch inspection at the New Bucks Head.
And that means the final - which was also scheduled for Thursday - will now be pencilled in at a later date.
“The Telford versus Bridgnorth game has been arranged for Thursday and then there will be talks with Shrewsbury Town and the winner of the other semi-final to find a suitable time to play the final at a later date,” said Shropshire FA spokesman Neil Sambrook.
“It won’t be before the start of the season. It will be a case of looking at the fixtures.
“The two clubs involved may feel they don’t want a Senior Cup final hanging over their heads at the end of the season if, as we hope, they are in promotion battles. But we will hold talks and see what is best for all parties.”
Sambrook confirmed the logistics involved in arranging a game, as well as the state of the New Bucks Head pitch, ruled out the possibility of staging Telford’s clash with Bridgnorth tonight and leaving the final on Thursday.
The decision not to play the final in the week proceeding the start of the season is sure to be greeted with relief by Shrewsbury boss Paul Simpson and his Telford counterpart Rob Smith, who will be hoping his team join Town in the final.
Simpson said after last night’s victory: “I want to make sure it is put in at a time which suits us and whoever else is in the final.
“I don’t want to play it next week. If they want us to respect the tournament and play a first team like we have against Market Drayton, they will not get that next week as it doesn’t fit in.
“My priority from the moment we started back was to make sure pre-season was done properly and gear everything towards August 9.”
And Smith declared: “If we got to the final then we wouldn’t want to be playing within four days of the start of the season.
“If that was what we were asked to do then I would sign 11 kids and put them out there.
“I won’t jeopardise us just a few days before the start of our season when we are down to 12 or 13 fit players anyway.”
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