On/Off Update 19/01

[Part Time Par]

Originally Posted By: butler4-4-2

Should've started the game and then called a halt to it if THE PITCH WAS DANGEROUS!!!!

Maybe he thought that despite the work gone into trying to get the pitch playable, it was dangerous.

I suppose you have to take into account the "where's there's blame, there's a claim" culture nowadays. Ref plays the game, player gets a serious injury - "that was dangerous ref, we should never have played, I'm suing you for loss of earnings"

Also I note that Mr Panayotiou was on the game, maybe he heard Rhodes was going and wanted a quiet afternoon!

[Tubbsy8]

Mr Panayotiou was not on the game. I think the "Claims direct culture" has nothing to do with the decision made.

[NeutralFan]

I'm not getting involved with my views on the Chalfont pitch!

[Horace]

Originally Posted By: NeutralFan

I'm not getting involved with my views on the Chalfont pitch!

Oddly enough, NF, the pitch has been improved out of all recogition since it ruined your career! A great credit to the club now.

[Tubbsy8]

It was in great condition it was like a carpet, probably the best pitch I have seen all season.

[Football Man]

Those last two posts should make NF feel a whole lot better about things!

[Tubbsy8]

I fail to see how a football pitch has ruined his career, aren't you in IT NF?

[NeutralFan]

[NeutralFan]

Well from April I'm available for any Vets footie... all invites for possible trophy grabbing will be considered!

[blues06]

Originally Posted By: Wader

Originally Posted By: blues06

Broxbourne - Homo Green - OFF

Your Herts Senior Cup 3rd round match away at Bishop's Stortford has been put back 24hrs to Wednesday 23rd Jan (7.45pm).

See you there!

Doubt the game will get the go ahead on wednesday Wader, they wont wana ruin their lovely pitch against little broxbourne!! lol
If it is on, i'l see u there!

[petethegreek]

I’ll give you my version of events regarding the Hanwell Town –vs- Cockfosters postponement.

 

On the morning of the game at 10am, the Club telephoned me and said as long as there was no more rain then the pitch was playable. No pitch inspection was made by a Referee in the morning.

 

Unfortunately the heavens opened once more with constant rain between 10:30am and 1:30pm.

 

I arrived at the ground at 2pm and spoke to the Referee along with the other Assistant Referee regarding the state of the pitch. The groundsman had done a superb job to get the surface anywhere near to playing. Had it not rained in the morning then the game would have been on.

 

We waited until 2:30pm to make a final decision. It was left as late as possible to give the groundsman every chance to make the pitch playable.

 

All three of us agreed that there were too many areas that were unsafe. The decision to postpone was based solely on player safety.

 

My colleagues and I wanted a game as much as anybody else but unfortunately it was not to be.

 

On your last point, Rhodes opinions about my performances did not bother me until he questioned my integrity on this forum. I have already reminded him that as a Club Official he should be careful as to what he says but obviously he wants to see how far he can go with me.

 

[Wader]

Well done Pete. A cogent, comprehensive and explanatory post that clears up that particular issue well. More like it from other officials would be great.

[butler4-4-2]

sorry pete but i disagree mate. the pitch was actually in a better state then the week before but the officials gave the go ahead. what annoys me is the inconsistency with certain decisions. if there was any doubt and i mean ANY DOUBT at all then just call it off, SIMPLE!!!

[hordes]

 

 

On your last point, Rhodes opinions about my performances did not bother me until he questioned my integrity on this forum. I have already reminded him that as a Club Official he should be careful as to what he says but obviously he wants to see how far he can go with me.

 

he isnt anymore...but he has a load of business cards so

he can still pretend

his only role now is cleaning the palatial club house

 

 

 

[Wader]

Originally Posted By: blues06

Doubt the game will get the go ahead on wednesday Wader, they wont wana ruin their lovely pitch against little broxbourne!! lol
If it is on, i'l see u there!

I think the pitch has suffered a bit lateley, but I am certain they are very keen to get the game played with you if they can. Their Trophy replay at Halifax has been called off and put back again in any event.

[petethegreek]

Originally Posted By: butler4-4-2

sorry pete but i disagree mate. the pitch was actually in a better state then the week before but the officials gave the go ahead. what annoys me is the inconsistency with certain decisions. if there was any doubt and i mean ANY DOUBT at all then just call it off, SIMPLE!!!

I agree that there is inconsistency.

Earlier in the season I officiated on a game that should have been called off hours in advance. The pitch was waterlogged to such an extent that if you dropped the ball it just got stuck in the mud and wouldn’t bounce and if you tried to roll it along the ground it immediately stopped.

The Referee was adamant that the game should be played.

The result was a farce and totally ruined the pitch. I won’t tell you what the groundsman thought as this is a public forum!

As for the Hanwell Town –vs- Cockfosters game we had to make a decision when we arrived at the venue which was 2pm at the latest. Once there we spoke to the groundsman who did everything possible to try and make the surface playable. Reluctantly, all three of us agreed that it would not be safe to go ahead.

I was as frustrated as anyone not to play.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted By: hordes

On your last point, Rhodes opinions about my performances did not bother me until he questioned my integrity on this forum. I have already reminded him that as a Club Official he should be careful as to what he says but obviously he wants to see how far he can go with me.

he isnt anymore...but he has a load of business cards so
he can still pretend
his only role now is cleaning the palatial club house

Hordes - This post says a lot about you. Petethegreek made a good post to try to clear up the matter of the very late postponement at Hanwell on Saturday however you chose to pick up on his last paragraph which brings you in even further from 4/6 to 4/7 for Forum Gayer of the Year next year.

[ref1]

As for the Hanwell Town vs- Cockfosters game we had to make a decision when we arrived at the venue which was 2pm at the latest. Once there we spoke to the groundsman who did everything possible to try and make the surface playable. Reluctantly, all three of us agreed that it would not be safe to go ahead.

 

I was as frustrated as anyone not to play.

 

Hi Pete, great analysis of what happened! It is good that refs post on here - however most dont for fear of being mis-quoted or causing unneccessary problems. (For Pete's benefit, we have been out 4 times this season - The 61FC and Hoddesdon Town being two of them!) and Wader - if you are who I think you are - then you would know me from your previous club and those long nights with Dave Axcell after Capital League games!

 

It is odd how different people perceive things in different ways! I am the ref who called off the Hanwell v Cockfosters game - I was a very late change of ref so not many people would know who I am - unless they know me of course! For butler 4-4-2 I was as disappointed as anyone not to play - I love my football, and I was very happy to get a late call from Mick at 10.45 on Saturday morning appointing me to ref at this match, and getting told the pitch was playable at that time! (The alternative was more training for the London Marathon!).

 

I received a call from Hanwell's club secretary at about 12 saying that there was now doubt over the game because of the rain that had fallen in the previous hour or so? I asked him if he could call upon a local level 4 (or above) to pop in and look at the pitch to see if we could save the potential uneccessary cost and time of everyone travelling? Unfortunately at this late stage there was no-one. So I left home almost immediately to get to the ground (30 mile drive round the A406! - took 1 1/2 hours!)

 

When looking at the pitch the groundsman advised me of the worst areas (in front of the benches and by the centre circle). The bit in front of the benches was very wet and saturated, but still reasonably firm under foot. The bit by the centre circle was totally unplayable as you lost your footing completely in it!

 

At no stage did I ever say that the pitch was playable if certain areas were worked on. The groundsman asked for 1/2 hour to see if he could work on areas of the pitch to get the game on? The groundsman had already done a fantastic job in getting the pitch prepared, had it not rained in the morning - we probably would have played?

 

Common sense says that as everyone was already there, to give the groundsman 1/2 hour to try and fix the major problem areas? I advised the groundsman, Hanwell's secretary and the away team manager that I would re-inspect it and make a decision at 2.30, but I did also say that do not be surprised if the game is called off at 2.30? Having re-inspected it, I was still unhappy with the state of the pitch as it was to easy for a player to loose their footing in the very soft middle part of the pitch. Also the rest of the pitch being very soft and saturated with water the pitch would have become a bog and the game (in my opinion) would have become both dangerous and a farce.

 

I know different people had different opinions on whether the game should have been played or not. I give Hanwell the upmost credit for getting the pitch ready (I believe the groundsman worked on the pitch for 5 hours on Friday?). However my main concern was the safety of the players, and for those that saw me inspect the pitch would have seen me lose my foot in the mud near the centre circle! Particuarly in a key area of the pitch, I could not allow a match to be started where I could not guarantee the players safety?

 

It is worth noting that I discussed the decision with the groundsman in the bar afterwards and he agreed with me that the game should have been postponed - and he is the person who worked tirelessly to try and get the game on!

 

As for the previous week - I cant really comment as obviously I was not there. I do however agree that there should be better and more structured guidelines as to whether a pitch is playable or not?

[BedfordSub]

thats good enough for me ref1 !

[NeutralFan]

The criteria has certainly changed over the years for calling games off, I've played at Hanwell more than once when the mud would cover your boot so you couldn't even see it!

 

Maybe if players wore boots that had suitable studs they wouldn't lose their footing so much!!!