Blackburn vs Newcastle FA Cup clash delayed as Lineker confirms change of plan
Newcastle's trip to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup has been delayed by 15 minutes, forcing BBC presenters to fill more air time.
A statement from Blackburn, who are hosting the tie, read: "Kick-off has been delayed by 15 minutes until 8pm in order to allow as many supporters as possible to enter the ground."
Gary Lineker was on hosting duties for the BBC at Ewood Park on Tuesday night. And he confirmed that the tie would be decided on the night despite the delay, with the game going to extra-time and then penalties if there is a draw at the end of 90 minutes.
"This one has to be decided tonight, so could mean extra-time and penalties for a place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup," Lineker said. "It could be quite a late one because kick-off has been delayed, due to a problem with the turnstiles and Newcastle fans getting into the ground. Because of the delayed kick off, we're going to have to talk more about the Alan Shearer derby!"
Newcastle added in a statement: "Tonight's kick-off has been delayed by 15 minutes and the game will now start at 8pm." The teams are playing for a place in the quarter-finals, which will be held across the weekend of 16 March.
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The draw for that round will be held on Wednesday, ahead of the tie between Chelsea and Leeds. Arsenal legend David Seaman will pull the balls out of the hat, with Blackburn and Newcastle set as ball number one.
Heading into the game, Newcastle were hammered by Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday. And Magpies boss Eddie Howe is looking for his side to bounce back against their Championship opposition.
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Presenter Gary Lineker confirmed the tie would be decided on the night (PA)"It's a huge game for us. We're absolutely committed to the FA Cup to do well and have been all season. We've had two difficult games away from home to get to this stage and now another one. We've been looking forward to this game for a while so we know how important it is," he said.
"They've made a change in manager. John (Eustace)'s a very experienced guy who did a great job at Birmingham City and should do a very similar one at Blackburn. It goes to show how competitive the Championship is. Last year, they were right up there competing and this year, after a bright spell, they're maybe not where they want to be in the league but they're a very competitive team.
"They've got goalscorers in their side and playing a new system, so a lot of challenges for us to rise to, overcome and get through to the next round. It's what we're here for. The cup competitions are so important. We want to go as far as we can, like we did in the Carabao Cup final."
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