Match postponements

[Bromley Blue]

Living and working in London these days means I have a longer journey than some (not all) to Southend home games. Just before leaving work at around 6pm in Farringdon I check the OS to confirm the match is going ahead. I then leg it round to Liverpool Street and get the last possible train (18:35) to get me to Roots Hall for kickoff. Upon arriving at Prittlewell I am greeted by fans walking towards me and I hear someone say that the game's off.

Having experienced the same for the Chelski game I decide to walk on to meet my mate in the Spread and cross my fingers. As I get closer its apparant by the sheer number of people walking in the opposite direction that this game has no chance of going ahead so I meet my friend, grab a quick pint and get the next train back to Liverpool Street.

15 quid down the drain and around 3 hours travelling for something which could have been avoided.

I know the club did everything in their power to get this game on but IMO there should be a deadline for when a game can be called off. Say 6pm for a midweek game.

I appreciate there are arguments against this. For instance, the Chelsea game would not have gone ahead in these circumstances because at 6pm there was thick fog in Southend that night. So possibly more games would be called off that are currently but it would certainly stop things like last night occurring. The scunny fans would still have been disappointed but hopefully they'd have found out whilst still in London saving them 2 hours unnecessary travel.

Thoughts?

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I've just voted yes but then regretted it. There really are too many factors. A sudden frost (weathermen are not Gods), the fog rolling in, a sudden thaw ****ing everyone off because "the game should've been played, what do those fools know etc". Awful games on surfaces that make you think the game should've been called off and great games on a surface where football really shouldn't have been played.
However I thought looking at the weather Monday and Tuesday that the game being on was a bit optimistic.However the reasons given i.e the linesmen's footing seemed a bit weak. The fact the roads and pavements are in such a state is frankly down to our wonderful councils. Funny how the more we pay the worse the service actually is.

 

[maninasuitcase]

There's too many factors involved to have a specific deadline. In my opinion the Arsenal game was called way to early with transport problems cited as the main reason.

Also if a game is declared 'on' at a certain time, what happens if the conditions then deterioriate?

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Anyone remember Shrewsbury in the snow a few years back .. Freddy won it for us late on with a diving header .. should never have been played, but did we care at the time ?? certainly not !!!!

 

[number11]

Anyone remember Shrewsbury in the snow a few years back .. Freddy won it for us late on with a diving header .. should never have been played, but did we care at the time ?? certainly not !!!!

Though wasn't that game actually fine at kick, but then had an almighty snow fall during the last ten minutes. Just remember hoping the ref would see the game through to the end as we were winning!

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Though wasn't that game actually fine at kick, but then had an almighty snow fall during the last ten minutes. Just remember hoping the ref would see the game through to the end as we were winning!

Yeah thats kind of the point i was making (rather badly obviously) .. the match was fine to start, but should never have been completed .. which is worse, a postponement or an abandonment ??

 

[Bromley Blue]

Yeah like I said I appreciate that conditions can suddenly improve, I stated this in my original post. However I personally think it might be worth sacrificing the odd game which could go ahead in such circumstances to eradicate situations like last night.

Those scunthorpe fans probably paid upwards of 40-50 quid to come down on the train plus spent how ever many hours travelling only to be let down 15 minutes before kickoff.

Its a tough one to call but thats why this is a forum!

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Those scunthorpe fans probably paid upwards of 40-50 quid to come down on the train plus spent how ever many hours travelling only to be let down 15 minutes before kickoff.

Twice i've got all the way to Grimsby only for the game to be called off

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

That Shrewsbury game the referee did indeed take the players off late on. If the snow had persisted he would have abandoned the game but the snow abated and in his opinion the match could then be finished.

Shrewsbury also called a game off whilst we were en route to Gay Meadow a couple of years before, too, but as we had a good day out nobody really gave a toss.

 

[Buckinghamshire Blue]

Yes definately, I like many other Shrimpers make a 200 mile round trip for games at RH. For me it's a half day annual leave from work plus £30 in diesel. So a cut off time would spare me the cost and lost holiday.
But don't get me started on the fiasco yesterday . . . . . . .

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Yes definately, I like many other Shrimpers make a 200 mile round trip for games at RH. For me it's a half day annual leave from work plus £30 in diesel. So a cut off time would spare me the cost and lost holiday.
But don't get me started on the fiasco yesterday . . . . . . .

While i sympathise with your expense i believe you are basing your opinion rather selfishly, and failing to see the bigger picture

 

[Suffolk Blue]

I had to vote no.

I'll give the ref the benefit of the doubt and assume that he really wanted to give the match every chance of being played and only as the last resort postponed it.

We'd all have been berating him just as much if he'd called the match off yesterday morning and then we were walking around in a snow and ice-free, soggy Southend last night.

To be honest, for the vast majority of the fans attending last night (myself, other exiles, and the travelling Scunny fans aside), leaving the decision late was inconvenient and disappointing, but not of earth-shattering impact.

 

[Sean 2]

I blame the wind.

We were promised wind and it never materialised.
If there was some wind it would've kept the temps up enough.
Wind on the coast,that's what they said,but when walking to the ground i flicked my fag in the air and it flew like an arrow.

At that point i knew the game would be called off.:madman:

 

[OldBlueLady]

Too simplistic - Chelsea game is a classic example of how quickly weather conditions can change, however, frozen pitches are a different matter and I think there is a case for maybe having a cut off time if this is the reason. How you go about implementing that, I haven't a clue!

 

[william hill]

Those games that we're called off in london the police blamed the weather, but would you want to be a policeman in london when Cardiff Birmingham millwall leeds and to a lesser extent colchester mixing in close proximity, i wouldn't the police prayed for a miracle and got one with the snow.

 

[sufcalways]

You cant really set a deadline for it but if its obvious it should be done..

 

[Buckinghamshire Blue]

While i sympathise with your expense i believe you are basing your opinion rather selfishly, and failing to see the bigger picture

Well let's hope you don't have a large portion of the same when you go to Swindon on Saturday (that's assuming you're going?).
As you will see from other posters on the site I am not the only Shrimpers fan outside of Essex (together with away fans) so your view that I am being selfish is not really a valid one . . . .if you don't mind me saying.