FA probe York's late arrival as club blame blizzards

The Blue Square Premier Division high-flyers could be fined after turning up just two minutes before the scheduled 3pm start, causing the match to be delayed half-an-hour.

York claim they were the victims of unavoidable circumstances after encountering blizzard conditions on the M62 followed by heavy traffic on the M6.

The team coach left Yorkshire at 10.15am on a 120-mile journey that turned into a four-and-three-quarter hour ordeal.

York director Sophie Hicks last night said it would be "harsh" if the club were penalised.

"We believe we did everything correctly and that we followed the usual protocol, and it was just the extreme weather and traffic chaos that caused the problems," she said.

"The snow made for really difficult driving conditions over the Pennines and then the traffic was really bad on the last leg of the M6.

"There was no talk about us having an overnight stay because we consider a trip to Stoke to be a local fixture really.

"When you consider some of the places we go to – places such as Eastbourne, for example – it's not a particularly long journey down to Stoke."

An FA spokesman last night told the Yorkshire Post: "We're writing to York to ask them for their reasons for being late. In addition we're waiting for the referee's and assessor's reports.

"It will be a few days before we know what, if anything, is going to happen, and it's unclear what sort of fine would be imposed if it was felt a fine was in order.

"This sort of incident doesn't happen very often but ultimately it would be up to the FA Cup committee to decide whether there's a case to answer."

York, who lost 3-1 after taking a shock lead against the Premier League side, are upset with national newspaper reports saying the players were unhappy with the board for refusing to sanction an overnight stay.

Goalkeeper Michael Ingham was quoted as saying: "Why didn't we have a stop-over? You'd have to ask the board that. The players aren't too pleased."

But Hicks countered: "Not only was there no talk of an overnight stay, which we would have sanctioned if the manager had requested it, but the goalkeeper was misquoted in several newspapers because we've heard the tapes.

"I don't think that type of thing would happen if we were a really big club as opposed to a non-league side."

York's Blue Square match at Altrincham tonight has been postponed due to a frozen pitch.