v Ipswich Town (h) - 20/9/25

[StHelensRover]

Just now, Mike Graham said:

No.  That only happens if it is called off before the game starts.  We will have to pay again unless the club are overcome with generosity 🤣🤣🤣

Wow that genuinely really surprises me, I was (99%) sure they would just automatically make the tickets available for re-use. Seems like most clubs would feel the right thing to do is to honour original ticket sales? Or not?

[aletheia]

Anybody care to comment on the pen? Live, at the game, I thought there was going to be a booking for a dive. More than happy to be corrected.

On the game. Think Mori shoud play up top with Ohashi as they clearly think quickly and understand each other. Cantwell wasted up top -they played a very high line and he is not fast enough to exploit the space behind. Other than that, fairly regulation stuff from either side. 2 chances for them first half (one straight at Toth and one a reasonable save from Hirst). 1 for them right across the face of goal. Ref gave us pretty much everything.

No point crying about the abandonment. Correct decision from ref as pitch became unplayable safely. We could certainly argue about what should happen now, but given precendent and the rules, looks like a fully replay. Pasha rubbing hands.

Mori has made a big difference and I think Gud will too.

Looking at the sides we have played this season, the league certainly seems average/

January/february/injuries will tell the real story I guess.

Not been dull so far 🙂 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It’s a bummer but it’s football. The pitch got them out of jail. I was right in line with that last passage of play and the ball just wouldn’t run at all. It had become a lottery and it was highly dangerous in my opinion. 

So they get to come back and play a full game with it being 0-0, 11 v11, and nobody on a card.  “ Some Guys Have All The Luck “. 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

Wow that genuinely really surprises me, I was (99%) sure they would just automatically make the tickets available for re-use. Seems like most clubs would feel the right thing to do is to honour original ticket sales? Or not?

Rovers ? Or Not.

[Eldirk]

4 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/dec/13/newsstory.sport4

Happened in Spain once (not weather related but still abandoned) and they managed to just to play the rest of the game.

Why should it be unworkable here?

 

I only said unworkable as it seems the sensible option. 
 

I just can’t see the FA doing the right thing. 

[OllieNO]

Massive own goal by the club again. Heavy rain in Lancashire - hardly a surprise. No other matches in the top four divisions were called off today. It’s part of the same old pattern: Even if (by some miracle) Rovers perform on the pitch, management will find a way to **** things up.

[StHelensRover]

2 minutes ago, aletheia said:

Anybody care to comment on the pen? Live, at the game, I thought there was going to be a booking for a dive. More than happy to be corrected.

 

I laughed my head off when the pen was awarded at the time, I thought it was extremely soft at best. I haven't seen it back though. It might be in the territory of 'soft, but letter of the law' -  where you're laughing when you get it, but fuming when it goes against you. 

[Tomphil2]

25 minutes ago, neophox said:

We could not even beat Ipswich in their promotion season from League one but nearly got them today relegated from the Premier League would it not been for the weather ...we played well TGH better than Tavares. 

Yes i hope VI makes a good note of that in midfield but somehow i think they have Sid marked out as one of the main players to try to develop and sell for good money.

[aletheia]

Just now, StHelensRover said:

I laughed my head off when the pen was awarded at the time

Curiously, no comment about dreadful championship refs at the time on the thread. Funny that. 🙂 

[Tomphil2]

1 minute ago, OllieNO said:

Massive own goal by the club again. Heavy rain in Lancashire - hardly a surprise. No other matches in the top four divisions were called off today. It’s part of the same old pattern: Even if (by some miracle) Rovers perform on the pitch, management will find a way to **** things up.

In Suhail world it doesn't matter if something costs points as long as it doesn't cost money.

A major reason why we will never genuinely progress with him hanging around.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

6 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

I laughed my head off when the pen was awarded at the time, I thought it was extremely soft at best. I haven't seen it back though. It might be in the territory of 'soft, but letter of the law' -  where you're laughing when you get it, but fuming when it goes against you. 

What I call a “ Home End Penalty “. If it happens down the other end it’d be play on.

[MarkBRFC]

7 minutes ago, Eldirk said:

I only said unworkable as it seems the sensible option. 
 

I just can’t see the FA doing the right thing. 

Yeah there's no reason why they couldn't order the game to restart in the 80th minute at 1-0 Rovers against 10 men.

Zero chance they will though.

[Tom]

30 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

Sorry what? A blind man could have taken the decision not to pass it through the biggest puddle on the pitch. If that's the logic being applied then no wonder it got called off 🤷 

But it’s still part of the pitch. I thought they tended to test multiple parts but I’m sure @arbitro can confirm 

[Penwortham Blue]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont get the bitterness towards McKenna. The game clearly couldnt carry on regardless of what anyone wanted, the ball couldnt move or bounce.

Telling that only our game fell foul in the North West. 

He is a smug twat. When we were robbed last time they were at Ewood in the promotion year, and was totally ungracious. Today, he was in the ref’s ear and then taking his entire team and back room staff on to pitch to ‘celebrate’ before an announcement was made in the stadium, just shameless and embarrassing.

[StHelensRover]

4 minutes ago, Tom said:

But it’s still part of the pitch. I thought they tended to test multiple parts but I’m sure @arbitro can confirm 

Ref came out and rolled & and dropped it in a couple of areas to the same result (ball not bouncing or rolling).

Rovers sent several staff out with pitchforks but they spent ages poking bits of the pitch round the edges and over by the riverside, nowhere near where the ball had been when he ref stopped play and nowhere near the ref rolled/dropped the ball. Staff did none of the pitchfork stuff in the key areas where there was visible standing water, a bizarre decision but might not have made a difference to the ref's assessment.

Edited 3 hours ago by StHelensRover

[Bohinen1983]

It's still raining heavily now... Just one of those things. .

[Mike Graham]

14 minutes ago, OllieNO said:

Massive own goal by the club again. Heavy rain in Lancashire - hardly a surprise. No other matches in the top four divisions were called off today. It’s part of the same old pattern: Even if (by some miracle) Rovers perform on the pitch, management will find a way to **** things up.

The pitch was in good condition and playable at Chorley.

[Penwortham Blue]

2 hours ago, Mercer said:

Think ding dong Bell netted that game.  If memory's correct, it was early Jan with only a few thousand on the ground.

Not my recollection, we were going well and a really strong and vociferous following that wintry day. Remember it well as I travelled with the old Ribble Valley blues coach from Whalley.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Would it be your view when/if we replay the game in a couple of months when they bang in form and we have a couple of key players injured? 

Thats not an equal comeback.

I get your frustration and we all share it. But your replies are that of someone unable to put aside bias to come to a reasonable conclusion.

The only possible solution today was to stop the game. The pitch and conditions were clearly unfit to complete it, the ball wasnt moving or bouncing on the ball. Its as simple as that.

The stuff comparing it to the Portsmouth game years and years ago is clutching at straws. Its irrelevant, although I concur that the conditions that day were worse and also the outcome of the game was much more secure, todays game was in the balance. In no way could we have carried on today purely because another game in 2017(?) also carried on. Was the game playable today? No. End of story.

Its a really unfortunate situation for us fans, and the players too. But the game had to be stopped and just giving us the win isnt a fair outcome based on 80 minutes either. Any anger should be placed towards the owners/Suhail for being unwilling to improve the drainage. And sadly, the rules indicate that a full replay will take place.

[arbitro]

5 minutes ago, Tom said:

But it’s still part of the pitch. I thought they tended to test multiple parts but I’m sure @arbitro can confirm 

There is no prescribed way of doing it.

Personally I thought the referee did the right thing by focusing on the worst area. I really didn't think there was a cat in hells chance of the game restarting and the cursory 'inspection' was purely aesthetic in my view and perhaps a bit of arse covering for when he compiles his report.

[roversfan99]

8 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

He is a smug twat. When we were robbed last time they were at Ewood in the promotion year, and was totally ungracious. Today, he was in the ref’s ear and then taking his entire team and back room staff on to pitch to ‘celebrate’ before an announcement was made in the stadium, just shameless and embarrassing.

But the game being called off today was not because of him. It was unfortunately the only possible decision.

They came out to clap the fans who have travelled a long way.

[superniko]

Only really one way to point the finger of blame and it’s towards those who have invested absolute shite all into our facilities for 15 years whilst being Gaslit by the likes of Waggot back then telling us “we’ve invested heavily in the pitch”.

I’m annoyed but also just so fed up with Rovers these days I’m almost just shrugging my shoulders.

The rule itself is just a disgrace too, it makes absolutely zero sense at all to have it the way it is. I can’t think of a single reason it’s this way bar “travel for 10 minutes” so what, just play it out at the end of the return fixture for all I care. 

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, StHelensRover said:

Neither club are doing any post-match or any statements because the game has to be referred to a panel to decide what happens about the result. Neither club wants to be seen to be trying to influence the panel so neither club will be making comments on what happened. (I got that from Radio Lancs earlier)

We were told that was the case but of course, smug old Kieran has had his stay. Transparently trying to say it should have been called off a lot earlier, no doubt before the sending off and the penalty. Twat

[Ossydave]

16 minutes ago, Tom said:

But it’s still part of the pitch. I thought they tended to test multiple parts but I’m sure @arbitro can confirm 

I get it, but when a road is covered in puddles you adapt and avoid them, for 10 minutes the players on the pitch could have coped I believe. 90 minutes absolutely not, 45 minutes also no, it was 10 minutes though just play hoofball for a bit.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

6 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

I get it, but when a road is covered in puddles you adapt and avoid them, for 10 minutes the players on the pitch could have coped I believe. 90 minutes absolutely not, 45 minutes also no, it was 10 minutes though just play hoofball for a bit.

There was nothing in it for Ipswich to want to play on. A man down and a goal down. So they play several short passes all along the ground to make sure the ref sees the problem. They could have walloped it down field, but they didn’t. They did exactly what I would have done in the same circumstances.

Edited 2 hours ago by Tyrone Shoelaces