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What a washout!

Simon Smedley
21/11/2007

WHAT a frustrating night it was for everyone connected with Stockport County on Monday.

The travelling players, management, fans and club officials were all keyed up for what promised to be a special FA Cup night in front of the watching nation at tiny Staines Town, but the rain forced a controversial postponement just 30 minutes before kick-off and a miserable 200-mile ride back home.

County striker Anthony Elding was clearly disappointed. As he prepared for the long trip back having initially left Stockport for London on Sunday morning, he said of the postponement: “Personally I think it was the wrong decision. The ball was rolling.

“There was a couple of puddles over near the tunnel area, but other than that the pitch was okay. It was quite firm underneath.

“Everybody in the dressing room was very disappointed. We’ve travelled a long way and we’ve prepared as well as anybody could for a game like this.

“The club have spent a lot of money on the whole situation, but we’ve now got to come all the way back down here.

“But it’s been called off, so we’ve now got to come back in the right frame of mind.

“It has been a frustrating night for everybody.”

Elding also had a few words of sympathy for supporters of both sides, but particularly for the 500 or so Hatters fans who once again were set to show their tremendous loyalty on a horrible night.

Elding added: “I came out of the ground and saw all the fans of both clubs lining up at the turnstiles.

“I had to tell some of them that the game was off. It must be so disappointing for our fans and I feel for them.

“They’ve travelled such a long way for a midweek game, I just hope they all get home safely.”

Ten-goal hit-man Elding added: “There’s another midweek game for us to contemplate now, and that is something we don’t need right now to be honest.

“We didn’t need a replay here in the first place, but we’ve had to deal with that, and now it’s all about preparing for the game at Bradford on Saturday.”

Well, of course Elding and everyone else will by now know that the Staines game will take place tomorrow night [Thurs].