THE major £750,000 ground improvements to Newport Stadium will be delayed until after Newport County have played their FA Cup First Round replay with Blackpool.

Work on the scheme was due to start next Monday - but as County drew 2-2 with Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on Saturday the match will be decided in a replay at Newport Stadium next Wednesday night.

The clash will be televised live on Sky Sports and so council chiefs have agreed to delay the work and contractors will now begin the improvements a week tomorrow. The upgarde will allow County to play Nationwide Conference football next season if they promoted from the Dr Martens Premier League this term.

To ensure the stadium meets Conference requirements, additional turnstiles will need to be added, the terracing along the touchline opposite the grandstand will be extended and more terracing will be added behind the goal. Meanwhile, Gwent rivals Cwmbran Town have congratulated the Exiles on their FA Cup heroics.

John Colley, chairman of the League Of Wales side, said: "We congratulate Newport County on their excellent 2-2 draw at Blackpool last Saturday and wish them good luck in the replay."

County were due to play Cwmbran in FAW Premier Cup next Monday at Newport Stadium but that match has been re-arranged until December 17 (7:30pm) so the Exiles can prepare for the re-match with Blackpool.

Manchester United and Chelsea will be the first clubs to suffer if the players carry out their threat to go on strike from December 1.

United and Chelsea are due to play each other that Saturday at Old Trafford in a televised match on Sky, kicking off at midday.

United chief executive Peter Kenyon will be dismayed by this prospect and he has stressed throughout the so-far unsuccessful negotiations between the Professional Footballers' Association and the game's governing bodies, that a strike is in no-one's interests.

Kenyon has steadfastly refused to be drawn on what United will do if their highly-paid stars refuse to play against Chelsea.

Instead he has maintained that mediation is the only way to solve this dispute over how much money the PFA should get from the latest television deal.

Speaking last Thursday he said: "There's got to be a negotiated settlement because it's not in the interests of the players, the union, the Premier League, the supporters or the clubs for a strike to occur.

"There's got to be some rationale come to these negotiations. I'm sure there will be a settlement even if the strike goes ahead."

*PICTURED: Cwmbran chief John Colley.