[Adam Skelding]

This does seem very odd.
Normally the entry system seems to run perfectly, but I guess as the numbers have ramped up recently to over-subscribed events we may see this happen.

Sending your entry in well before the date does not always guarantee it will get there before the date, due to Royal 'Snail' mail having the ability to loose important documents for a while.

Did the parties get their confirmation of entries back? If so, then I would imagine they have serious grounds for complaint.

The parties need to get on to their regional rep and or contact the entry secretary directly to find out the problem......