RateTheRef

1948-49 F.A. Cup 3rd round 2nd Replay

No neutral venues this season (usually tossed for) and extra time in all matches

If replay (on following Saturday, no midweek first replays) was drawn then back to the original venue on the Monday (48 hours later)

F.A. posted letters on Friday noon to the two possible lines for Birmingham v Leicester expecting them to arrive on the following day (Sat 15th Jan 1949)

However William Ratcliffe of Leek only received his letter on the Monday and he telephoned the F.A. to say it was too late for him to make travel arrangements,
and presumably Albert Baughan of Hereford had not even received his as nothing was heard from him.

Therefore an announcement went out over the tannoy 30 minutes before kick off asking for qualified officials from amongst the spectators -
A.C.Leake (Birmingham) and M.Bradley (Loughborough) responded and had their time in the limelight in front of 31,000.