DEREK Adams feels City should be playing their replayed FA Cup replay with Exeter at a neutral ground on Saturday – instead of trailing all the way back to Devon tomorrow.

The Bantams are heading back to St James Park for the second time in a fortnight to finally settle their first-round tie.

But Adams reckons it is “unfair and unhelpful” that his side are forced into the long midweek trip again when they were not at fault.

“If the game had been played at a neutral venue, we could all see that as a sensible option,” he said.

“To then ask for us to go back to the original venue where it took place when Bradford City, as a football club, haven’t done anything wrong in the situation is a bit unfair.

“Exeter are playing at home. They have got their home supporters again and we have to go back down there.”

The winners face a quick turnaround with a second-round trip to League One Cambridge on Saturday – which could mean City potentially travelling for the seventh time in eight games.

Adams believes it would have helped both clubs if the replay had been moved to the weekend.

“The game should have been played on Saturday when the second round of the FA Cup was taking place and then the second round is moved.

“I don’t think that for both sides, Bradford or Exeter, to play the game on Tuesday night and then have to again on Saturday is particularly fair to any of us.

“The communication between the clubs and the FA was via email.

“We did have a call on the Wednesday morning from the FA to let us know what was going to happen. But the board at the FA decide what’s going to be.”

The FA declared the original replay, which Exeter won with three goals in extra time, “null and void” after the Grecians blundered by making a sixth substitution.

None of the officials from that game – referee Sam Allison, assistants Kevin Morris and Andrew Hendley and fourth official Marc Whaley – will be involved this time.

But two of them were back in action in the round of matches that immediately followed the first replay – suggesting they were not sanctioned by the governing body for the mistake.

Adams said: “That has to be looked into. When there has been a huge error then someone has got to take the punishment for it.

“As clubs, managers and players, we all have to take the punishment at some stage for a yellow card, red card – but sometimes it doesn’t flow through the whole system.

“We were playing the tie and didn’t break any rules. Unfortunately for us, the rules were broken.

“Was it by the officials or the club? That’s probably a similar topic.

“The referee, the fourth official and the linesman allowed the sixth substitute to happen. We all agree with that.

“That has changed the flow in the game on the night.

“We then have to go back to Exeter to play the replay. If we win on Tuesday night and progress to the next round of the cup, we then have to go away to Cambridge on Saturday in such a short turn-around.

“I think that’s unfair and unhelpful. But it’s something we have to deal with.

“We look at the officials for tomorrow night – it’s not the same that refereed. It’s different officials again.

“They have been able to go and referee other games, rather than come back and do the game they were supposed to be doing.”

City are taking a 17-man squad – with no Abo Eisa, Charles Vernam, Caolan Lavery or Andy Cook.