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Finishing the match behind closed doors is the simple solution. Just play the final 15. No fans, but both teams can stream the game. Both teams can pick a brand new starting team, same players don’t need to be picked etc. Ofc Ipswich start with 10. Can anyone find the issue with that?

Yep, in the interests of integrity, they could also order that at least X number of players on each side are the same players as those who were on the pitch when the came was abandoned, in the same way that they dictate how many players from the last league game must start low priority cup games

Agreed, but it probably remains so that if a game is 3-0 with 2 minutes of injury time left to play they can just call it. I suspect they'll only use it when it's beyond obvious what the outcome will be. The partial replay I doubt they'll ever use so it may as well go.

Wonderful wonderful man, a national treasure, RIP

The fairest middle ground has already been repeatedly suggested. Finish the match.

That's fair enough, I just don't understand how it's better for us than calling it a draw. Seems like it would make everyone as unhappy as possible. Can't imagine it will be anything other than a replay, but the objectively most fair thing to do is to play the last 10 mins plus stoppage time at 11v10. Still not as good for us as just finishing the game at the time, but no one could reasonably complain and it's exactly the same amount of effort as playing a full 90 except we lose out on gate receipts.

I can think of a few heads i'd like to ram up the drain hole.

A really disappointing performance in the second half today. Despite being in a strong position at 2-0 and then 3-1, the youngsters lost control and then failed to do the basics in terms of defending. Blackpool, who don't have an under-21 team, looked a pretty decent outfit. This was a steep learning curve for our youngsters but hopefully, one that will benefit them in the future. A Blackpool fan informed me that James Butterworth, who scored a couple for the visitors when he came on as a second-half sub, is the son of John Butterworth - a former youth and reserve player for us in the early 1990s who many will remember from when Jim Furnell was running the youth set up.

Its still a guessing game. Decision is taking more time than expected but surely the EFL know by now. Maybe they have put steelcityblue's option to Ipswich with a deadline date for getting back to get back.

Ah. Very impressive coach for a team that's spent years in lge 1, full livery and club crest, wonder if it's leased !

The match wasn't completed so normal circumstances don't apply. So i'm looking at it from a damage limitation perspective, yes they moan and so would we but it softens the blow a bit to them and at least gives us something without going through it all again and getting nowt. By the time the replay comes around they might have hit top gear,might even have signed more players so i'd happily just grab a point now and move on and stop all the faffing about. All hypothetical though because the only debate at EFL will be result stands or full replay. Anything else is wishful thinking.

Their U21s are playing in Chorley tonight (vs PNE).

What we need at the club is a head of drainage.

Are you trying to say call it a draw? I don't understand why we would want to call it a win and get 1 point? What's the difference? And why would Ipswich accept getting no points but not accept us getting 3? How does that solution "minimise" anything? Ipswich are just as unhappy as if we are awarded the 3 points, and we are just as unhappy as if the game is replayed from scratch. I'm so confused.

Why was the Charlton Athletic team coach blocking the road near Asda in Chorley about an hour ago ?

I think if anyone is awarded points that shouldn't of got points or weren't in a position to then that's a farce. Giving points for free versus putting a team in a position to lose the points they already had.

So in a couple of replies you've basically offered up Ipswich's very stern case of defence in regards there must be a replay. Also stating the case that non of it should ever be up for debate because the rule should always be a replay. And also

Want a job at the EFL? Very good comment As said earlier in the thread. The distance between the two sides is irrelevant whether its 5 miles or 500 miles. Those are the two team that should play at Ewood and play the remainder of the game. Get the same referees back its their show too. That is fair.

Back to the 'cost v points' issue that just doesn't resonate with this lot, if you can make do with a league 1 budget and get by then that's what you'll get. Classic case of penny wise pound foolish again investing in constant reseeding and stitch pitches to get a great surface but ignoring the foundations of it that will always dictate what happens on the surface. Clown show.

Delap's throws were flat and fast so were hard to defend against. I agree that the current iterations are nowhere near his level. They tend to have no speed and have a big arc. I will also say that if the trend holds they'll get better. It looks like teams found a new data point and are trying it on the fly. Stockport's current manager, Dave Challinor, used to have a massive throw too. I remember seeing him do it for Tranmere.

No point going out to compete in any game if that's the attitude. Might as well accept thirty points from the next thirty games without going through the hassle of playing them and just play five or six games to determine promotion and relegation.

That in itself is also inherently extremely unfair. Who's to say you can't pull back a 1-0 deficit with 15 mins to go? What if you needed a point to go up or stay down on the last day of the season and the game was stopped in that position through absolutely no fault of your own?

I think most of us agree that the wilful neglect of the infrastructure was likely a major contributory factor on Saturday. To play devils advocate, it is also a fact that the railway line between Blackburn and Bolton was closed around teatime on Saturday, due to flooding

I guess the issue with having an arbitrary x minute = rule is it would increase the pressure on the referee. As the said minute approached the losing manager would be imploring the ref to call the match off whilst the winning one would be insisting it continued. Of course once that minute went by both managers would immediately pivot to the other opinion without a hint of irony… We could have saved all this bother by just sorting the bloody drainage out.