Match Off

[Haggis316]

Originally Posted by yerself

Is it not quicker over Blubberhouses down the A59 from Harrogate?

Could be. Just seems further.

The Brentford fans are so angry that one of them is suggesting on their forum that they crash Eric Whalley's EW Cartons website with complaints on Monday!!

[BTLawson]

Originally Posted by andyh

Feel sorry for the Brentford fans who have travelled.

No game should be called off this close to kick off!

Disgraceful!

Totally agree with you. I went to watch Middlesbrough (my family's team) at Blackburn today and it was announced on the PA system that Stanley had been called off and that lots of the Brentford fans were going to come into the away section with us at Ewood. A lot did show up and the ones I spoke to seemed to have enjoyed their day out despite the different match.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Haggis316

Could be. Just seems further.

The Brentford fans are so angry that one of them is suggesting on their forum that they crash Eric Whalley's EW Cartons website with complaints on Monday!!

I think they might be wasting their time. Take a look at the animal bedding and see whats new for November 2000

[Outback Ozzy]

From what was said on Radio Lancs by JC - The club phoned the FA who appointed a referee to inspect the pitch at 10 am and passed it fit. This joker turns up at 1200 and waits 1 hour and 45 mins before calling the game off. Please do not blame the club for this cock up - it is purely the match referees fault. An FA appointed ref said it was OK this morning - and as others have pointed out, there was no rain up until the second inspection yet he was worried about a patch from the centre circle to the edge of the box at the Accy end. Brentford FC BTW wanted to play the game but to no avail. Hope this clears up one or two complaints

[Redraine]

Some Brentford fans are keeping a sense of proportion:-


"Looking at those photos reminds me of what all football pitches used to look like at this time of year back in the 1970s. I'm coming round to the view of the early local ref!"
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"I'm no professional - you'd be able to work that out if you saw me too - but I'm thinking 'that doesn't look THAT bad' too - couldn't they just have dumped a load of sand on it a la Stamofrd Bridge a couple of seasons back, the rest of the pitch looks grand."


Most of the others seem to be saying that no games should ever start on a muddy pitch! What's the world coming to?
I have every sympathy with all those who travelled today, though.
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[deeayess]

It looked a bit muddy in small patches but I've seen far worse pitches declared playable in the Scottish Premier League and in the Champions league and UEFA Cup. The game today could easily have gone ahead without significant problems. Very poor decision to call the game off, nearly as bad as mine to go to Ewood today but after a 300 mile round trip I thought I would take in a game. Hopefully the trip to Inverness tomorrow will be better!!

[lancsdave]

There seems to be a general conscensus that the inspection at 10am was actually the correct one. Maybe that was called wrong and unfair pressure put on the match official to play the game because it would let so many people down at such late notice, especially as the away fans had travelled a long distance

Seems to be a fair mix of people who stood on the edge of the pitch and decided the pitch was fit or unfit, how many actually inspected it ? ( How many of you have actually have the expertise to inspect a pitch to decide if a game should go ahead ? ) There seems to be a lot more people saying it should never have been on than those who say it should.

If the comments from the Brentford fans are true that they spoke to the groundsman who said it was 65% ok then thats a hell of a lot of pitch that wasn't ok.

[cmonstanley]

if todays game was unplayable that means the peterborough game should be void because that was a swimming pool and todays referee would have called it off so where is the consistancy.. still think todays game should have been played.ive seen worse pitches in the english premier league..

[deeayess]

Originally Posted by cmonstanley

if todays game was unplayable that means the peterborough game should be void because that was a swimming pool and todays referee would have called it off so where is the consistancy.. still think todays game should have been played.ive seen worse pitches in the english premier league..

I agree, the peterborough pitch was far worse and it was deemed playable and I've been at many games where the pitches have been far worse than that. There did not appear to be any surface water but there was a few muddy patches. There was no rain forecast for the afternoon so it couldn't have got any worse. I have been at games where the pitch was so wet that low shots were being stopped in puddles and that was in higher leagues than today. How could the pitch have been playable earlier but unplayable at 1.30 when there was no rain nor likelyhood of rain during the game?

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by cmonstanley

if todays game was unplayable that means the peterborough game should be void because that was a swimming pool

I've just looked again at the Peterbrough match and I would say it may have been close to being abandoned but from what I can tell from the first half pictures it looked very playable.If there's a lot of surface water all over the pitch then you would see the spray when the ball went along the ground but it's not obvious on those pictures.

As for consistency, look at the number of people disagreeing if the game should have been played or not. It's not an exact science and is down to human decision. I know you won't beleive me but referees are actually as human as everyone else

[cashman]

i aint no expertise in these things dave, but have been watching football many years, gotta say i have seen far worse than that played on. and that was also raining when the matches kicked off. agree with cmonstanley theres no consistency, which is no big deal to me i travelled half a mile. its the away fans that really suffer with these late call offs.

[cmonstanley]

Originally Posted by deeayess

I agree, the peterborough pitch was far worse and it was deemed playable and I've been at many games where the pitches have been far worse than that. There did not appear to be any surface water but there was a few muddy patches. There was no rain forecast for the afternoon so it couldn't have got any worse. I have been at games where the pitch was so wet that low shots were being stopped in puddles and that was in higher leagues than today. How could the pitch have been playable earlier but unplayable at 1.30 when there was no rain nor likelyhood of rain during the game?

what do we know were only football fans. good to talk to you today anyway good luck for tomorrow ill be watching on satan tv..

[cmonstanley]

whats happening to this world people are agreeing with me its just not cricketreferees human



anyway wonder when the match is going to be played.makes a change us wingin about our performance....

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by cashman

i aint no expertise in these things dave, but have been watching football many years, gotta say i have seen far worse than that played on. and that was also raining when the matches kicked off. agree with cmonstanley theres no consistency, which is no big deal to me i travelled half a mile. its the away fans that really suffer with these late call offs.

From the pictures I have seen the pitch looked flat which to anyone on the touchline or ( further back in the bar ) seems no problem. But I also think from looking at the pictures that once the game started that channel would have been a quagmire. You can see that just by walking on it the footprints have sunk in to the mud. I also don't doubt that we have all seen football played on far worse pitches in the olden days, but this is modern day football. Players are much more protected ( for better or worse ) and it's only my personal opinion but I think that channel of mud would have turned in to a quagmire and a serious injury could have occurred.

If anybody is wondering which pictures I'm referring to, it's the ones on the Brentford forum

Accrington v Brentford MATCH POSTPONED - Page 8 - Griffin Park Grapevine

[cashman]

the point i am trying to make is if there is an early inspection, by a ref,then no rain before the kick off, its ludicrous to have another inspection. the ref who inspected should stand or fall by that descision, if hes cocked up then thats human, people will always debate after the event.