Brightside Bloke Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 It's actually a discredit to Mr Mason and the rest of the groundsmen that this game has been called off. The energy and time (which is faultless) they have put in is suddenly wiped out by an inconsistent referee who changes his mind as conditions get better and better. What hope have we of ever getting a game played if this is the standard of official we are lumped with. SO And do not quote me on this..... Peoples views as publicised elsewhere. To say the least we were a bit miffed Apparently a Witham Town player didn't want to play in a muddy but that was 6 foot square Surprised there was no early inspection. We can blame the ref all we like. The pitch is not good and its actually only playable thanks to our groundsmen the ref walked round the pitch at 13.30 and didn't say a word. The ref walked around the pitch at 12.25 and despite the constant Sunshine and Breeze deemed it unplayable? Both sides wanted it on, and our players ya they certainly wanted it on To sum up. Everyone barring the Ref wanted this game on as far as us Supporters/spectators are concerned. Such a shame. COYB's Next up (Allegedly) Brightlingsea Regent on Monday 19.45 But check the site Just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue pilgrim Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Heavy rain forecast for Monday - so it's not looking good January is now a waste of time. We need to start the season at the beginning of August and finish later in the Spring. That way, we could introduce a winter break. It would have the additional benefit of depriving the match officials of their fees for a while, so when they get back after the break, they may be more pragmatic in getting games played Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billericay Town Unofficial Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I find it quite annoying that as soon as anyone mentions the pitch in relation to matches being called off that certain people automatically assume we're having a go at those that give their time to work on the pitch. We're all aware that there are a small number of people that give their own time to work on the pitch to get the matches on. We're also aware that they can't control the weather and that there are several areas on the pitch that are extremely troublesome. It was the combination of the overnight downpour and one of these areas that gave the referee the chance to call the match off. I was at pitch side when Craig, who was extremely pissed off, asked the Witham players if they wanted the match called off. They were quite offended that he'd asked. That is when he told them that the referee had said that some Witham players had said they didn't want to play on the pitch. At 2:20 the officials were standing around one small patch, on the opposite side of the pitch from the large bald patch near The Cow Shed, dropping a ball and rolling it around. Both managers were called over and the game was off 5 minutes later. There is a small shower forecast for Sunday and then rain for Monday morning. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2655672 Even with bad patches covered over this won't stop the rain soaking through the soil around it. Despite the weather and the areas of the pitch that don't drain those that give their time are genuinely appreciated by the rest of us. The fact that even with those small patches the rest of the pitch is playable shows just what a great job they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brightside Bloke Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Exactly what we discussed today. Those groundsmen are absolutely awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin norman Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 When the game was called off at 2.30 the witham supporters in the club house started booing . All I ask of those people is to speak to there players about why the game was called off!! I just hope they can grow a pair and tell the TRUTH!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billericayboy28 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 It was a joke to call the game off at half 2, I and many others make a day of the football so to postpone it so late was a massive let down. It also diminishes the groundsman's efforts throughout the week. If the ref saw how much the pitch looks better on match days then during the week I'm sure he'd be more inclined to keep the game on. If people are so scared of a small patch of pitch that doesn't bounce then they're in the wrong sport. Surely refs know by now how important it is for any non league club to play games, and should only postpone in extreme circumstances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jl Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 If we thought the game was in any doubt we could have got an earlier inspection done. The benefit of this would have been A - it gets called off so we can all go and do something else or B - it gets called on which makes it much harder for the game to be subsequently postponed unless the pitch deteriorated significantly - which in this instance it clearly hadn't PS the grounds people do a great job trying to get these games on. I thought the pitch looked pretty decent yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzaBTFC Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 The pitch is troublesome and there are issues that go beyond this. Those issues are worked on in an exemplimentary fashion by our small and ageing volunteers. I saw no complaint from others over their efforts. Their efforts are well appreciated. Sitting on the balcony yesterday afternoon I saw the officials walk round at 1.30 and then the players come out for their warm up. The difference from last week was that the players came out some time after 2. That is unusual. Leatherhead for example were out around 2 or a bit before... The officials come out about 2.20... 2.25 and then there was the discussion and then the Witham players just left... Quite sharpish if I am allowed an editorial... From what I could see the discussion between the managers was still going on and our players were still warming up... Our players were left standing in their half and the body language spoke volumes... If any body language can say "WTF?" That is how I saw it from the balcony... Between the time of the first inspection and the second I heard nothing from anyone about any concerns about the condition of the pitch... Which looked okay considering the rain we had the night before. Usually I would have heard something. Ian Ansell is very active when getting information out to me to announce. Nothing was said and i believe that the game was on... Until the 2.30 decision... So what had changed. Well as with previous incidents of this nature, the only thing I could see was the inclusion of the opposition who from where I could see had set their training area (cones) in that part of the pitch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billericay56 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I was not at the ground so will need to be cautious in my response but should it not be for the referee to make a decision rather than players and managers having undue influence. I like many others appreciate the outstanding hard work and dedication undertaken by the team at the club. My view is that if the pitch is approved ninety minutes before kick off the only reason the decision can be changed is if the weather makes the pitch worse. I also appreciate non professional referees have to take into account the welfare of all players but they must also accept that this is Rymam League Football and pitches at this level can only be of a certain standard. Looking forward to watching football with sensible referees and opposition players who arrive wanting to play rather than finding reasons not to play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billericay56 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Worth a meeting with local referees to get agreement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill of Shenfield Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I was outside when it called off and the Witham supporters were not happy. When their players came walking off moaning about the area on the far side their supporters had a go at them, as they wanted it on. So what changed after the refs initial inspection, I can only suggest that they did no want it played and the ref gave in to them. It is time for the refs to stand up and make a decision and stick to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzaBTFC Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I was outside when it called off and the Witham supporters were not happy. When their players came walking off moaning about the area on the far side their supporters had a go at them, as they wanted it on. So what changed after the refs initial inspection, I can only suggest that they did no want it played and the ref gave in to them. It is time for the refs to stand up and make a decision and stick to it. I think that speaks volumes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billericay Town Unofficial Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I was outside when it called off and the Witham supporters were not happy. When their players came walking off moaning about the area on the far side their supporters had a go at them, as they wanted it on. So what changed after the refs initial inspection, I can only suggest that they did no want it played and the ref gave in to them. It is time for the refs to stand up and make a decision and stick to it. I've since been told that the Witham players wanted it off and their manager may have conveyed this to the referee. Anyway! It's happened, its in the past and now we move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobS Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I was at pitch side in front of the clubhouse from 2.20 until about 2.40. At 2.20 Craig Edwards was called over to the far side of the pitch where the ref and Garry Kimble were talking. The match officials were walking around the troublesome area, rolling a ball and pointing. A further discussion between Edwards, Kimble and the ref followed. Kimble then broke away from the group walked towards his players motioning to them with a cutting of the throat gesture that the game was off. The Witham players then started to leave the pitch and they informed the Billericay players of the postponement. Craig Edwards then returned to the tunnel outside the dressing room saying the ref had called it off due to the Witham players not wanting to play. Most of the Witham players didn't seem to know what he was talking about and Kimble when he returned never said a word. When the match officials returned off course they made no comment. There then followed a period of about 5 to 10 minutes with a group of Witham coaching staff, Billericay fans and Witham Town supporters generally arguing with each other. I then walked around to the side of the pitch that had caused concern. I stood adjacent to this area during the Leatherhead game and the difference was that yesterday there was some standing water still on the pitch so the footing for any player I would consider would be worse than the previous week (when I was surprised the game went ahead) So in my opinion a game should never be called off when conditions have not deterioated in the previous hour and the match official is guilty of inconsistency that caused great frustration for all concerned. But again (and it's only my opinion) the pitch was not fit for play and the game should have been called off much earlier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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