[Archived] Todays Game Off

[PAFELL]

This should not happen at a premier lge ground

Agreed, even Blyth Spartans were able to put a game on - evening kick off and just as cold.

[cravenblue]

as it turns out, even though we haventplayed, results went our way, and with 2 very winnable home games, it hasnt really been a bad afternoon

[Blue n White Rover]

QPR managed to get there game on and that isn't too far from Fulham, why couldn't they? Stupid!

[novella]

QPR managed to get there game on and that isn't too far from Fulham, why couldn't they? Stupid!

To be fair , QPR probably have under soil heating (very rich club) plus craven cottage is right on the banks of the Thames which will make it more vunerable than other stadiums.

[Vicki]

To be fair Allardyce said that when Neil McDonald went to look at the pitch at about 10.30am, it was fine and they were happy it would go ahead. The problem was around 1pm, when the temperature had already dropped to minus 2 and anyone who saw it on Sky will testify there was ice all over the place. As they said then, it wasn't so much how the pitch was at 3pm but how it would have been at 4.30pm with temperatures dropping all the time. I'm no Styles fan but I don't think he had much of a choice. It's absolutely gutting for those that travelled down there of course, and you really would have expected a Premiership club to have better facilities, but I think it may just have to go down as "one of those things" instead of blaming the referee.

[stuwilky]

Fulham should be made to pay at least £100 to every person in posession of a ticket to the away end of the ground to cover travelling costs and free coaches should be laid on for when the match is eventually played.

When our undersoil heating failed we paid for coach travel for the rearranged fixture for the Sunderland fans as I recall....

I might be wrong here, but in days gone by, weren't pitch inspections done earlier than this?

Why doesn't he get there until 2 hours before the game, does he have to take his wife shopping or something? Couldn't the club have taken the covers off and had a look themselves? Obviously they can't call the game off, but as I say, pitch inspections used to be done a lot earlier than this, I'm sure. Perhaps they could have alerted the ref that there might be a problem and he could've gotten there earlier.

And yes, the longer the gap between the inspection and the game, the greater the chance of a game being called off which could have taken place. But surely it's not that hard to judge, and better to call it off far enough in advance than to risk hundred or thousands of people making abortive journeys.

Just my opinion.

A pitch inspection can be done at any time on the day of the match. In non league football certainly it does not have to be the match referee who calls the game off, it can be any suitably qualified equivalent level referee.

However, Neil McDonald took a look at the pitch at 1030 and it was playable, it was only as the day progressed getting colder that there was problems. As none of us have walked on the pitch we do not know what kind of state it was in.

[broadsword]

Oh don't talk sense Stu, for God's sakes. I'm trying to have a moan!

[Blue n White Rover]

A pitch inspection can be done at any time on the day of the match. In non league football certainly it does not have to be the match referee who calls the game off, it can be any suitably qualified equivalent level referee.

However, Neil McDonald took a look at the pitch at 1030 and it was playable, it was only as the day progressed getting colder that there was problems. As none of us have walked on the pitch we do not know what kind of state it was in.

Well then the Referee should have done a weather check. He should've got in contact with the Met Office and asked for the forecast. It would then have been obvious that the pitch would have got worse, hence, calling the match off earlier.

Styles may have made the right decision I am not disputing that, but the sheer timing off the postponement is what irritates me.

[Bobby G]

Why isnt the game played tomorrow or later in the week?

[Blue n White Rover]

Why isnt the game played tomorrow or later in the week?

I guess it would be too much hassle for everyone. Police, Stewards will all have to be notified immediately, fans will be travelling up and down, also there is no guarentee that the pitch will be sorted out by tommorow. That's my guess anyway.

[Presty On Tour]

On the BBC coverage, they interviewed a few Rovers fans who looked mega f£$%^" off!

What made it worse was the price of a pint, £3.50 ffs!

Let's face it, football these days is a multimillion pound business and when a premiership club can't deal with some frost on a field of grass, there has to be a penalty introduced imo.

I hope Fulham refund the fans who made the journey with free travel when it's rearranged, it's the least they could do especially as it's more than likely going to be played in midweek, evening kick off unless both teams fail in the next round of the FA Cup.

[ffan]

I hope that Fulham will do the decent thing and over Rovers fans free coach travel, however knowing Fulham they might give you a voucher for the club shop!

Seriously, I genuinely feel for the fans who travelled down. The pitch was playable according to your Neil McDonald (sp?) and he inspected it at around 10:30, so when the groundsman lifted the blowers or whatever up, it probably caused the pitch to freeze again, well that's all I can think of.

[philipl]

Premier League enquiry into today's postponements could mean fines for Fulham and Pompey not conforming to PL rules.

[tony gale's mic]

There's absolutely no excuse for Premier League teams to have postponements for ice/frost in this day and age.

[Bobby G]

They should award 3-0 wins to the away sides!

[JAL]

Change of venue but all Blackburn with Darwen council football pitches have also been called off this weekend. Wheres this global warming?

[roversmum]

The Official coach arrived early and we went straight to the ground whilst most of the other travellers went for a walk or to a nearby pub. The disabled steward took us around to show us where we would be sitting and then said because of the cold and that we were quite early we were to be taken to one of the lounges - can't remember the name of it but the children who were to be mascots were there. It was warm and comfortable with tv screens and free tea and coffee and snacks. We were warmly welcomed. We had only been there about ten minutes and the steward came back to tell us that the match had been called off.

It was VERY cold in the ground and getting colder. We stayed in the lounge until round about two o'clock and then went outside, wondering how soon the coach would leave. We found the coach which was now on the main road some distance away but many of the passengers did not return until gone three o'clock so we had quite a wait.

I had been wanting to visit Fulham FC for some time and was disappointed that we only had a glimpse of the ground. However, we were very impressed by the kindness and thoughtfulness we were shown there.

Apparently some of the players went off not long after the cancellation was announced to get the tube back to their hotel, Samba and Robinson amongst them! Could have caused quite a shock to any fans who spotted them, unaware of the cancellation, travelling in the opposite direction.

[Balwer]

Apparently some of the players went off not long after the cancellation was announced to get the tube back to their hotel, Samba and Robinson amongst them! Could have caused quite a shock to any fans who spotted them, unaware of the cancellation, travelling in the opposite direction.

No they were quite quick to announce it over the PA system that the game was cancelled. I was changing trains at Paddington when they announced it, must have been 1.45 or so. Good work by the City in that regard I must say.

[Rovers in America]

Well then the Referee should have done a weather check. He should've got in contact with the Met Office and asked for the forecast. It would then have been obvious that the pitch would have got worse, hence, calling the match off earlier.

Styles may have made the right decision I am not disputing that, but the sheer timing off the postponement is what irritates me.

I hate Styles as much as the next person, but I would assume the ref has jurisdiction only up to a certain point before the match begins. I'm not sure how it works in the premier league, but in America, generally the refs only have jurisdiction of whether a game happens up to X amount of time before a match. Before then, it's up to the team's management themselves. If this is indeed the case in the premiership, then that would also explain Styles doing his inspection when he did because that's when he has the authority to make a call on the game. Before then it would be up to the Fulham staff.

[Blue n White Rover]

I hate Styles as much as the next person, but I would assume the ref has jurisdiction only up to a certain point before the match begins. I'm not sure how it works in the premier league, but in America, generally the refs only have jurisdiction of whether a game happens up to X amount of time before a match. Before then, it's up to the team's management themselves. If this is indeed the case in the premiership, then that would also explain Styles doing his inspection when he did because that's when he has the authority to make a call on the game. Before then it would be up to the Fulham staff.

Pompey managed to call their game off at 9 o'clock. The ref hasn't done enough in my opinion. He has left it way too late, and hasn't thought about the fans travelling more than 5 hours!

Should've made the call earlier. 2 hours before kick off is a shambles!

[philipl]

If you read through the thread you will understand what happened when:

Still no excuse for FFC not having undersoil heating.

[Paul Mellelieu]

If we play Fulham when we have a couple of new signings, and Dunn and other are back from injury it might work out in our favour.

[Earlydoors]

Just got back..not a sob story as it's nothing compared to many who would have travelled far further..but just a note to say it's a disgrace. I bet Harrods wasn't closed at 3pm because they've got heating. How can Fulham not have under soil heating when they spend £16million on the likes of Johnson and Zamora.. F***in disgrace

[stuwilky]

I hate Styles as much as the next person, but I would assume the ref has jurisdiction only up to a certain point before the match begins. I'm not sure how it works in the premier league, but in America, generally the refs only have jurisdiction of whether a game happens up to X amount of time before a match. Before then, it's up to the team's management themselves. If this is indeed the case in the premiership, then that would also explain Styles doing his inspection when he did because that's when he has the authority to make a call on the game. Before then it would be up to the Fulham staff.

Clubs are not permitted to call matches off at any pyramid level. For numerous reasons.

Im sure there are suitably qualified officials in London to inspect the pitch of a morning though.

I am told Fulham do not have under pitch heating.

[the original david brent]

How can Fulham not have under soil heating when they spend £16million on the likes of Johnson and Zamora.. F***in disgrace

Exactly my thoughts. Was on the hammersmith flyover when I heard. According to 'talk sport' undersoil heating costs a mere £300,000, and is a mandatory requirement in the Scottish Premier League. Why not in England?