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Westley may be getting his 3G excuses in early

NO wonder the TV cameras are in town as Maidstone host Stevenage in an FA Cup first-round replay.

It's the first ever FA Cup proper match to be played on a 3G surface.

Anything could happen. This could be the end of football as we know it.

Or, we could watch a fairly typical football match aside from a few blokes overanalysing the bounce of the ball and wondering if any injuries might have been avoided had the game instead been played on a Kent bog.

After the first match ended in a 0-0 draw at Stevenage, Boro boss Graham Westley was quick to pass judgement on the pitch the replay would be played on.

He said: "As a surface it doesn't work. When you're playing on it players' safety is in jeopardy. It's unforgiving and puts the body and joints through a lot of grief."

Even I wasn't worried about my joints when I was playing football in my twenties. Though maybe if I had done I wouldn't have to moan and groan in agony every time I tie my shoelaces.

Anyway, I think Westley's comments are otherwise known as getting your excuses in early, so I'll be backing Maidstone to cause an upset.

Best of all, Mrs Bunter has one of those Microsoft Surface tablets with 3G on it, so I just asked her if I could watch the match on the 3G surface on a 3G Surface, just so I could tell Dave down the pub about it.

I think the look she gave me was pity. 

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