Match Off

[Bagpuss]

Originally Posted by harwood red

I know that when the match is replayed the club are looking at discounted admission for all and suggestion of free programme for season ticket holders

I'm with TM on this, why?
It's not like last time when it was abandoned and we paid full price to watch 45mins of joke football on a mud bath, this game was postponed before we had paid our money not leaving most out of pocket. If the club are thinking of doing it as a good will gesture who am I to put it down but it seems a bit strange if it does happen.

[K.S.H]

IMHO if any discounts are given it should be to the Brentford fans, it's them who lost out with the distance they travelled etc, we didn't really loose anything did we - apart from a few quid for the

[harwood red]

I think the discount is seen as a goodwill gesture by the club and they are thinking of the Brentford fans who travelled. Ther reason I believe they will offer it to all who attend is so there are no hard feelings for home fans either... don't forget we have many stanley fans who travel a fair distance too!

[DAV007]

came up from liverpool with the kopite lad who is slowly becoming an Accy fan.

I was gutted to see it called off, the clayton end looked fine.
Roscoe said the pitch was alright and he had played on worse pitches.

I had mixed feelings about the behaviour of the Brentford fans to the referee. I thought some where out of order while others made a very valid point.

Ended up going to Blackburn vs Boro in the away end, and spent the half time break and the second half chatting to the Brentford fans who on the whole where in good spirits and for a small proportion of the second half outsang the Boro and Blackburn supporters.

At least my 2 man plus 20 odd boro fans rendition of 'your just a small town near Accy' in my stanley shirt wound up a few of the blackburn fans.

The match itself was a shocker, makes you realise what good football Stanley play at times.

The ref was an amature - that pitch would have been fine. The Stockport pitch was alot worse IMO. I hope we start kicking up a stink about pitch conditions, our style of play requires a good surface.

[Oggy]

Originally Posted by harwood red

I know that when the match is replayed the club are looking at discounted admission for all and suggestion of free programme for season ticket holders

I won't take a programme, free or otherwise while the 2br challenge is included. Some things, well, you just have to draw a line in the sand.

I'd take a cheeseburger, though.

[maccawozzagod]

the club had stated on friday somewhere (paper I think) that they were looking at ways of reducing matchday costs for the fans for next season. Maybe this is a way of looking at what might work and what might not. Don't forget that any discounts on tickets are met with aberration by the season ticket holders!

keep at it Stanley,

[Redraine]

Hereford's Bulls News twisting the facts again;-

"Brentford boss Andy Scott has blasted Accrington after yesterday's match at the Fraser Eagle Stadium was called off just 90 minutes before kick-off. Referee Andy Haines had no hesitation in calling the game off when he arrived."

Now just when did he arrive?

[darrener]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought I would let you know of a lengthy conversation I have had with a Football League official today re the called off match.

1) They are NOT aware of any inspection by a local referee at 10am, and stated that they would not sanction a local referee inspecting the pitch without their knowledge. Where there have been bad weather conditions it is down to the home club to notify the FL the day before, in which case the FL will allow the match referee to stay in a hotel the evening before the match and give an early inspection the following morning.

2)This was apparently done by other clubs, and a number of those matches(he quoted the Macclesfield match as a case in point) which was cancelled.

3)He confirmed BFC have made a complaint this morning which is now being investigated.

4)He has urged that all supporters, particularly those who travelled do complain by Email if possible, as it would strengthen the complaint against Accrington.

5) He confirmed they are taking this matter seriously, and I suggested that at the very least BFC should be compensated for their costs and some form of deal ie. reduced ticket prices or whatever should be given to us Supporters. Please do Email them asap.

I hope this info is useful to you.

[darrener]

from brentford forum

[Redraine]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=545 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width=510>Brentford supporters letter to the FL:-

BIAS complains to Football League over Stanley postponement
21st January 2008


We have today sent the below open letter to the Football League with regard to the late call-off of Saturday's game at Accrington Stanley.

Dear Sir/Madam

On behalf of all Brentford fans who travelled to Accrington for the aborted game on Saturday 19th January, Brentford's Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS) calls on the Football League to investigate the circumstances surrounding the late call off of the game, and specifically the inspection of the pitch that took place on the morning of the game where the pitch was passed as playable when later declared unplayable by the match officials.

We would like the Football League to respond to the following points:

• Confirmation that it was a nominated Football League official that passed the pitch as playable at 10am on Saturday
• Publication by the Football League of any report filed by that official following the 10am inspection
• Publication by the Football League of any report filed by the match day official that resulted in the match being called off
• Clarification of the Football Leagues policies and procedures regarding to pitch inspections and the criteria for the calling off of a match.
• Clarification of any schemes run by the Football League to protect travelling fans from financial losses resulting from match cancellation.

As you can see from the attached photographs [see below], taken at approx 13.30 on Saturday, it was clear that the pitch was unplayable, and we have had confirmation that it had seen no deterioration from the initial inspection that morning. Accrington advised Brentford officials on Friday confirming that the pitch was playable and that the game would go ahead when with hindsight this was clearly not the case.

We call on the Football League to investigate the initial inspection, and the actions of both Accrington Stanley and the Football League officials that performed the inspection, and make public the findings of their investigation. We also request that the Football League review their processes surrounding pitch inspections to avoid a repeat of what happened on Saturday.

We would be grateful if you could respond as soon as possible with your findings and any comments by email and by letter to the above address.

Please note that this communication, and any response from yourselves, will be published on the BIAS web-site.

Yours Sincerely

Phil Marchant
Chair
Brentford Independent Association of Supporters

More info:
Pictures of the Accrington Stanley pitch (courtesy of Farnham Bee & the GPG)
BIAS letter to Accrington Stanley

Some good points in there.

</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle width=35>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Another Unhappy Bee]

Hello. I received an e-mail from Rob Heys the day before the game saying that you "are not expecting any problems".






I think the footprints being deep in the penalty area can mean problems for a great proportion of players and this was just after the postponement.

I also rang ASFC at 1.29PM, minutes before the game was called off, and they said the game was on. I passed the phone to the people I was travelling with so their minds could be put at ease. I rang at 1.39PM to be told that they were awaiting confirmation and was told it was off at 1.45PM.

To be told three different things in a short space of time in my view isn't good enough.

[shakermaker]

Originally Posted by Another Unhappy Bee

To be told three different things in a short space of time in my view isn't good enough.

No it isn't, but it's lower league football in winter. These things happen.

[Bagpuss]

[quote=darrener;5202211) They are NOT aware of any inspection by a local referee at 10am, and stated that they would not sanction a local referee inspecting the pitch without their knowledge.[/quote]
This is what has been said by our people in the know, I think we could be in trouble because it looks like we got some local ref in off our own bat.

[Stanleymad]

Blimey what a commotion over sods law!!! ASFC cant control the darn weather, our manager/chairman/directors/groundsmen DO not have the final say the REF in charge does, so how we can be blamed i dont know. The ref in charge made the final desicion, ASFC did their best to their knowledge, the got a local ref to look at the pitch whom said to them it was fine & they went off that advice till the ref turned up, the rain held off & weather was fine, what else could be done ??? If ASFC called it off on suspect it may not pass the refs inspection to later find the ref would of passed it fit to play on - people would of moaned then!!! Chicken & egg situ! Unfortunately inconsistancy between FL ref's means also these things happen before matches too, personally i think Wigans was bad as ours in places but went ahead, as did Peterboroughs match we had last week was a swimming pool & was still lashing down - but thats the way the cookie crumbles im afraid.

Personally i think its a cheek to complain when a fair few of your [Brentfords] fans made a right big rowdy performance outside the ASFC office & a ref scared witless probably, but you dont think of the Police bill that you cost us in that process of that behaviour, understandably annoyed but there was the other Brentford fans that maintained their control of temper & behaved appropiately with our management team by taking offers of a trip to Blackburn or in the clubhouse/crown.

As much as its cost you its cost us as a club too financially & it seems that our chairman is in formal process of sorting out a comprimising solution for the abandoned game as best he can, so find the comments made a bit unfair IMHO.

[lancsdave]

Can't see what a complaint to the Football League would achieve anyway. As an organisation they taught the Child Support Agency the meaning of efficiency