THE FA is to ask other competitions for their opinion on a proposal by the North West Counties League to amend FA Vase rules affecting postponed or replayed ties.

The competition’s organisers will then decide what, if anything, to do next when they meet again at the end of the campaign.

An FA spokesman confirmed to the Guardian that the topic was on officials’ agenda when they gathered in February.

At the same summit, they decided against punishing 1874 Northwich further for withdrawing from this season’s edition at the second-round stage because they did not have enough players to contest a rearranged game.

“We’ve discussed it,” he said.

“But we’ve deferred the matter until our next meeting so we can consult other leagues at steps five to seven of the National League System.”

1874 had been due to play at Morpeth, a Northern League team based almost 200 miles away, on Saturday, November 21.

But the game was postponed when overnight rain left the pitch unplayable.

The Northwich outfit asked for the rearranged encounter to take place seven days later, a request rejected by their opponents’ committee.

When the FA insisted they return to the north east on Wednesday night instead, 1874 responded by forfeiting the fixture.

They said neither their players, nor manager Ian Street or his number two Paul Bowyer, could do so at such short notice.

The club risked being fined or expelled from entering next term, only for the governing body to decide ending early their involvement this time around is sanction enough.

“We’re pleased – and relieved – at the FA’s decision,” said Brian Edge, vice-chairman at 1874 Northwich, on Sunday.

“We felt the circumstances we found ourselves in left us with no alternative but to withdraw.”

FA Vase rules say a postponed game, at that stage of the competition, must be played on or before the following Thursday.

However the governing body reserves the right to fix a later date if, in its words, ‘exceptional circumstances’ apply.

It should be noted Morpeth, who progressed to the semi-finals on Saturday, had agreed to visit Winsford for a midweek replay if the initial meeting had ended level.

However the North West Counties League believes they shouldn’t have been expected to.

“Our proposed change is: ‘where the distance between home and away grounds is more than 100 miles, any rearranged or replayed match shall be played the following Saturday,’” they said in a statement in January.

1874 have written a letter to the FA in support of their league’s idea.

“They feel for us, and we’ve spoken to officials about what happened,” added Edge.

“We’d like for the FA to talk to as many people as possible – leagues, clubs, whoever.

“I’m sure they can come up with something that improves the situation.”

Currently, from the fourth round on, postponed, abandoned or replayed games are scheduled for the following Saturday.

“The first question in the furore over Morpeth’s FA Vase walkover is why the FA didn’t realise it’s an awfully long way from Cheshire to Northumberland on a Tuesday night – and that players at our level find it hard to get time off work at a day’s notice,” wrote Northern League chairman Mike Amos in a blog entry.

“They could have ordained from the start that any replay or rescheduled game would be the following weekend.”

It remains to be seen whether his counterparts agree.