REDDITCH United will travel to Carlisle to play their FA Trophy third round match despite freak weather which has claimed the lives of three people in the Cumbrian city.

The Reds players and staff will be travelling up to their opponents on Friday night as they had planned but will now be playing the game at Northern Premier outfit Workington FC on Sunday, in a 2pm kick off.

Thousands of Carlisle residents were forced to evacuate the city as gales and floods battered the whole of the county including Brunton Park this week.

Redditch United and Carlisle have kept in touch since the events and worked out the 2,500 capacity Borough Park as the venue for the tie.

Reds Chairman Pat Cremin said: "I called them up on Friday and they told me the water was up to the 14th row in the main stand then I rang them on Monday to check again and they said the water was still three and a half feet deep.

"It's not just water it's the slurry and sludge which comes with it. Both dressing rooms have been flooded."

Bu the tie wasn't at the forefront of the Redditch chairman's mind.

He added: "The residents of Carlisle must have gone through absolute hell in the last week our hearts goes out to everyone there."

Meanwhile, Reds manager Rod Brown revealed that he had been in touch with Carlisle boss Paul Simpson to try and come to an arrangement on the playing front.

He said: "From a team point of view playing in front of 5-6,000 fans would have been superb but that's history now.

"I've already spoken to the Carlisle manager and he's told me that they won't be able to play at Brunton Park for the foreseeable future, they're going to have to rearrange all their home matches which is just a nightmare but this tie had to be played.

"We tried to arrange the tie at Morecambe, Barrow and Gretna but they were all at home on Saturday.

But Workington approved and that's where the tie will be.

"It's still a massive game and we're just going to prepare for it the best we can."