Game OFF

[Jim]

I believe Darlington FC travelled to Banbury yesterday and game was called off 30 minutes before kick off! Something close to 400 miles round trip.

[barrowaberdeen]

A fan writes
https://bluebirdstrust.co.uk/all-bluebi ... D2E4Wqrsug

[Jim]

A fan writes
https://bluebirdstrust.co.uk/all-bluebi ... D2E4Wqrsug

Brilliant!

[Moribund]

Ah, so the implication is that he's got something to get back to in Lancaster on his way home to his family. Makes sense now.

[holkerboy]

See a women's game got called off minutes after it had started, although it seems the players were skating around, which is a little bit different from Saturday's saga.

[Suffolk Blue]

It’s a tricky one. I saw the footage at Kingsmeadow yesterday. Not only was the surface iced but it was artificial making it both a farce and dangerous.

In Mr Barrott’s case, whilst there is no accusation being made by the club, there is an insinuation that for some reason he may not have been as diligent as he should have been and may have been pre-disposed to a postponement.

Very difficult to substantiate although the subsequent complaint from the club is rare enough for it to suggest that’s these thoughts might have entered their thinking also.

I suspect Mr Barrott might have had a relatively difficult conversation with the refs association afterwards but clearly there won’t be any sanctions because frankly there are no objective tests. Even if a game is technically playable, if in the opinion of the ref he believes that temperatures will drop subsequently he can still call the game off based on a forecast.

It’s what you get when you put control in the hands of someone who probably isn’t qualified to make the decision. It also reflects a view that officials have no bias. This of course is rubbish.

[Big E]

It’s a tricky one. I saw the footage at Kingsmeadow yesterday. Not only was the surface iced but it was artificial making it both a farce and dangerous.

In Mr Barrott’s case, whilst there is no accusation being made by the club, there is an insinuation that for some reason he may not have been as diligent as he should have been and may have been pre-disposed to a postponement.

Very difficult to substantiate although the subsequent complaint from the club is rare enough for it to suggest that’s these thoughts might have entered their thinking also.

I suspect Mr Barrott might have had a relatively difficult conversation with the refs association afterwards but clearly there won’t be any sanctions because frankly there are no objective tests. Even if a game is technically playable, if in the opinion of the ref he believes that temperatures will drop subsequently he can still call the game off based on a forecast.

It’s what you get when you put control in the hands of someone who probably isn’t qualified to make the decision. It also reflects a view that officials have no bias. This of course is rubbish.

The lack of dialogue around the decision was the annoying bit - His mind was set and there was no persuading him otherwise. He even did several lob the ball in the air and watch the bounce test.. not sure what that was for...
Usually when the ground has been like this, there are usually one or two more reserved members of the staff who are a bit 50/50 on the suitability of the surface. This time I didnt see anyone who thought calling it off was the correct decision.

he even had one of the linesman taking pics on his phone of little patches of the grass.. quite baffling tbh

[2 doors up]

I believe Darlington FC travelled to Banbury yesterday and game was called off 30 minutes before kick off! Something close to 400 miles round trip.

Having been declared fit by the referee to play on 30 mins previous by same referee

[MisterPleasant]

A fan writes
https://bluebirdstrust.co.uk/all-bluebi ... D2E4Wqrsug

Oh, the irony.

[blue nige]

It’s a tricky one. I saw the footage at Kingsmeadow yesterday. Not only was the surface iced but it was artificial making it both a farce and dangerous.

In Mr Barrott’s case, whilst there is no accusation being made by the club, there is an insinuation that for some reason he may not have been as diligent as he should have been and may have been pre-disposed to a postponement.

Very difficult to substantiate although the subsequent complaint from the club is rare enough for it to suggest that’s these thoughts might have entered their thinking also.

I suspect Mr Barrott might have had a relatively difficult conversation with the refs association afterwards but clearly there won’t be any sanctions because frankly there are no objective tests. Even if a game is technically playable, if in the opinion of the ref he believes that temperatures will drop subsequently he can still call the game off based on a forecast.

It’s what you get when you put control in the hands of someone who probably isn’t qualified to make the decision. It also reflects a view that officials have no bias. This of course is rubbish.

The lack of dialogue around the decision was the annoying bit - His mind was set and there was no persuading him otherwise. He even did several lob the ball in the air and watch the bounce test.. not sure what that was for...
Usually when the ground has been like this, there are usually one or two more reserved members of the staff who are a bit 50/50 on the suitability of the surface. This time I didnt see anyone who thought calling it off was the correct decision.

he even had one of the linesman taking pics on his phone of little patches of the grass.. quite baffling tbh

Ian that`s why I mentioned about there being a recognized set protocol so all referees do the same procedure !

[Cromwell58]

Met some Salford fans in the Albion Saturday night staying behind to sample the Barrow nightlife.

[McMark]

It’s a tricky one. I saw the footage at Kingsmeadow yesterday. Not only was the surface iced but it was artificial making it both a farce and dangerous.

In Mr Barrott’s case, whilst there is no accusation being made by the club, there is an insinuation that for some reason he may not have been as diligent as he should have been and may have been pre-disposed to a postponement.

Very difficult to substantiate although the subsequent complaint from the club is rare enough for it to suggest that’s these thoughts might have entered their thinking also.

I suspect Mr Barrott might have had a relatively difficult conversation with the refs association afterwards but clearly there won’t be any sanctions because frankly there are no objective tests. Even if a game is technically playable, if in the opinion of the ref he believes that temperatures will drop subsequently he can still call the game off based on a forecast.

It’s what you get when you put control in the hands of someone who probably isn’t qualified to make the decision. It also reflects a view that officials have no bias. This of course is rubbish.

The lack of dialogue around the decision was the annoying bit - His mind was set and there was no persuading him otherwise. He even did several lob the ball in the air and watch the bounce test.. not sure what that was for...
Usually when the ground has been like this, there are usually one or two more reserved members of the staff who are a bit 50/50 on the suitability of the surface. This time I didnt see anyone who thought calling it off was the correct decision.

he even had one of the linesman taking pics on his phone of little patches of the grass.. quite baffling tbh

Maybe he’d been watching the Dambusters the night before it took Barnes Wallis a few bounces before he eventually made the right decision. Then perfection time after time after timeThe linesman was just helping in operation highball

[Big E]

The lack of dialogue around the decision was the annoying bit - His mind was set and there was no persuading him otherwise. He even did several lob the ball in the air and watch the bounce test.. not sure what that was for...
Usually when the ground has been like this, there are usually one or two more reserved members of the staff who are a bit 50/50 on the suitability of the surface. This time I didnt see anyone who thought calling it off was the correct decision.

he even had one of the linesman taking pics on his phone of little patches of the grass.. quite baffling tbh

Ian that`s why I mentioned about there being a recognized set protocol so all referees do the same procedure !

100% agree.

[Suffolk Blue]

Yes that’s probably the point. Referee has total responsibility for a decision for which he has no accountability Further he gets remunerated for a game that did not take place and has no requirement to account for or justify it to those affected.

Indeed the only persons to which the referee is accountable weren’t present so won’t be in a position to know whether it was correct or not.

You might say that the process is simply not equitable or fair. To which I might query who the hell suggested Football was fair?

[Hitthebar22]

Yes that’s probably the point. Referee has total responsibility for a decision for which he has no accountability Further he gets remunerated for a game that did not take place and has no requirement to account for or justify it to those affected.

Indeed the only persons to which the referee is accountable weren’t present so won’t be in a position to know whether it was correct or not.

You might say that the process is simply not equitable or fair. To which I might query who the hell suggested Football was fair?

Don't feel the need to respond to the rhetoric, but personally I think whether we should have played or not (yes we should) has been done to death. It didn't happen, so milk cry over spilt.