Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town’s FA Cup match will be replayed next week, the Football Association has announced.
Saturday’s fourth qualifying round match at Haringey’s Coles Park ground was abandoned midway through the second half after the players walked off following alleged racist abuse from Yeovil fans.
Defender Coby Rowe wrote on Twitter that he had been subjected to racist abuse, which Haringey manager Haringey Borough manager Tom Loizou later confirmed to talkSPORT.
The FA said in a statement on Monday: “Following the abandonment of the Emirates FA Cup fourth round qualifying fixture between Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town, the FA Challenge Cup Committee has made the decision for the original fixture to be replayed on Tuesday 29 October at Haringey Borough FC.
“In the event that a replay is required this shall be played on Tuesday 5 November.”
On Monday morning two men were arrested in connection with the matter.
The Metropolitan Police said the men – aged 23 and 26 – had been arrested in Chard and Yeovil on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault.
The FA’s statement added: “Following the incident in the original tie and the two arrests already made, the FA’s investigation is ongoing.
“We are continuing to work with the relevant authorities on our investigation into the matter.”
Speaking to talkSPORT 2 on Saturday, Haringey boss Loizou explained what prompted his side to walk off: “We conceded a penalty and my goalkeeper went to the side of the goal to have a drink and he was spat at and a bottle was thrown at him.
“A second bottle was thrown at him and just before that there was a few unsavoury words said to him as well.
“The referee halted the game. He saw the spit, he saw the bottle being thrown and then another missile came onto the pitch, which hit the goalkeeper. Then there was a little bit of a delay. They took the penalty and scored and my number six, Coby Rowe, went to pick the ball out of the back of the net with one of their players, both trying to get the ball.
“One trying to delay the kick-off and the other trying to get the game started, as you do.
“Coby Rowe was racially abused. The majority of the players heard it. The referee said he didn’t hear it. But there was more than one person who heard it.
“The Yeovil Town players tried to calm down the supporters. I saw the effect it had on Coby Rowe and a couple of other players.
“The referee was trying to get the game restarted. There was a group of players in the penalty box and I took one look at Coby Rowe’s face and my captain’s face and I walked on the pitch and said to the referee I’m taking my players off until you sort it out.”
“What distraught me was the look on the players’ faces. You have to remember these players have come from Sunday morning football, playing non-league football and doing very well and they are not used to this.
“They’ve heard about it, read about it, seen it but for them to be involved in it, it was terrible to see those players and the look on their faces. I felt I had to do something to protect my players.”
