v Sheffield Wednesday (h) - 06/12/25, 15:00 k/o

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

Extremely disappointing (once again) to be coming away from Ewood piss wet through with no points despite being in a winning position.

Once again, a lot of rain fell this afternoon and it’s obvious to everyone that the drainage system could not handle it. However, realistically,  what could have been done to prevent this happening again. It’s not like there can be a complete overhaul of the pitch until the summer. 

The EFL have no other option but to order a replay as per Ipswich but may decide to give the club an ultimatum that could include sanctions if the problems with the pitch are not addressed by next season. 
 

 

 

 

This problem has been years in the making. Last year (November time) we had a game abandoned against Portsmouth due to rain. Prior to that there were vague promises by the Regime (Waggott) about getting the pitch relaid to prevent future problems, which unsurprisingly never materialised.

This is not a problem that has landed on the club unexpectedly overnight. It has been developing for years as a direct result of cutting corners, costs and avoiding significant expenditure on the facilities under these hideous owners.

That - might- be excusable - in claiming we can't afford it - had it not coincided with circa £40-50 million of transfer cash flowing into the club due to them selling everyone they could get out the door. So to not spend a miniscule portion of that ensuring the pitch and drainage is fit for purpose is unacceptable and unforgivable.

The excuses that the water has nowhere to go due to the River Darwen might 'hold water' if this had been a recurring issue going back decades. But history shows that it hasn't been until recent years, again due to neglect and cost cuts catching up with us.

[Rogerb]

I think the River Darwen is a red herring. This is down to blocked drains within the pitch itself resulting in it being extremely slow to drain and resulting in standing water after any period of rain.

[alcd]

1 hour ago, roverblue said:

Ewood is a rotting corpse, neglected by its owners on the pitch and in the stands.

The whole ground is desperate for investment especially the Riverside where I sit.

I hope the club is fined for this shambles, Oxford on Tuesday night must be in doubt too.

The pack of losers in the boardroom will no doubt have their excuses at the ready. Wtf were these things supposed to do…

Postponement of the Oxford fixture would be a blessing. The squad is absolutely decimated by injuries so playing it after mid January would be much better particularly considering it's a must-win match against a relegation rival. 

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

Extremely disappointing (once again) to be coming away from Ewood piss wet through with no points despite being in a winning position.

Once again, a lot of rain fell this afternoon and it’s obvious to everyone that the drainage system could not handle it. However, realistically,  what could have been done to prevent this happening again. It’s not like there can be a complete overhaul of the pitch until the summer. 

The EFL have no other option but to order a replay as per Ipswich but may decide to give the club an ultimatum that could include sanctions if the problems with the pitch are not addressed by next season. 
 

 

 

 

Fit a pump into the drainage system, it doesn't have to be running permanently. Relatively cheap to do.

Edited 1 hour ago by rigger

[alcd]

1 hour ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

Extremely disappointing (once again) to be coming away from Ewood piss wet through with no points despite being in a winning position.

Once again, a lot of rain fell this afternoon and it’s obvious to everyone that the drainage system could not handle it. However, realistically,  what could have been done to prevent this happening again. It’s not like there can be a complete overhaul of the pitch until the summer. 

The EFL have no other option but to order a replay as per Ipswich but may decide to give the club an ultimatum that could include sanctions if the problems with the pitch are not addressed by next season. 
 

 

 

 

Let's hope the EFL do just that. But Venkys don't give a toss so probably nothing sign would be done. 

[Parsonblue]

Memories of the 67-68 season.  An abandoned game followed by two postponed games - all due to a waterlogged pitch.  Clearly work to do in the summer on the pitch.

[RevidgeBlue]

4 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

I think the River Darwen is a red herring. This is down to blocked drains within the pitch itself resulting in it being extremely slow to drain and resulting in standing water after any period of rain.

Also for many years the Club took the cheap option of just turning the top part of the pitch over in summer rather than replacing it completely. I wouldnt be surprised if below that everything is packed so solid a lot of water never reaches the drains at all.

[Cherry Blue]

3 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

I think the River Darwen is a red herring. This is down to blocked drains within the pitch itself resulting in it being extremely slow to drain and resulting in standing water after any period of rain.

Agree, and as time goes on with games and weather the drainage system gets even worse. Call the expert, as Andy Bayes suggested tonight. 

What would be the EFLs view to this??  

[47er]

5 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Clearly work to do in the summer on the pitch.

Have to sell the squad first though.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

8 minutes ago, JHRover said:

This problem has been years in the making. Last year (November time) we had a game abandoned against Portsmouth due to rain. Prior to that there were vague promises by the Regime (Waggott) about getting the pitch relaid to prevent future problems, which unsurprisingly never materialised.

This is not a problem that has landed on the club unexpectedly overnight. It has been developing for years as a direct result of cutting corners, costs and avoiding significant expenditure on the facilities under these hideous owners.

That - might- be excusable - in claiming we can't afford it - had it not coincided with circa £40-50 million of transfer cash flowing into the club due to them selling everyone they could get out the door. So to not spend a miniscule portion of that ensuring the pitch and drainage is fit for purpose is unacceptable and unforgivable.

The excuses that the water has nowhere to go due to the River Darwen might 'hold water' if this had been a recurring issue going back decades. But history shows that it hasn't been until recent years, again due to neglect and cost cuts catching up with us.

Fair comment JHR.

i suspect the club have been reluctant to spend vast sums of money on the pitch that up to this season had been pretty reliable (can’t think of the last time a game was abandoned). Even in the Premier League we had the odd postponement e.g. Wimbledon.

However, despite being extremely unlucky with the weather, we are now a laughing stock and will come under close scrutiny from the authorities who will want assurances that something will be done by next season.

As an aside, I thought we the pitch was doing us no favours when the game was called off and Wednesday could have snatched a point or three due to the unpredictability of some of the passing. We had also lost a couple of key players.  

 

[Mattyblue]

After Wimbledon (we sorted out the drainage that summer) we didn’t have an issue for 20 plus years.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

5 minutes ago, Cherry Blue said:

What would be the EFLs view to this??  

Hopefully open a full investigation...we cant carry on like this.

[47er]

37 minutes ago, G Somerset Rover said:

Their local reporter is bang on. Shame other than Henry Winter that more in the national media cannot speak up:

 

Great article. We need more of them.

[Ossydave]

There's probably a few kids in Sheffield getting a couple less Christmas presents because their dad pissed money away on a wasted trip to Blackburn. Genuinely feel for them. I know fans of various teams and they list Ewood as one of their top away days, I suspect opinions are fast changing.

[Ossydave]

1 hour ago, Hasta said:

Again, are they not making money out of this by charging full price for the game, then half price (or whatever) for the rearranged game.

Well its a bit of a coincidence it's 2 teams with good followings it's happened against, they'll probably bring half the amount to the rearranged one in a Tuesday night but yes it's surely extra money.... 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The Oxford game must be in doubt,three days of rain expected.

What a situation this is.

[Herbie6590]

4 hours ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Can’t believe I’m not hearing a Venkys out chant here 

There were plenty in the BBE

[MarkBRFC]

2 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

The Oxford game must be in doubt,three days of rain expected.

What a situation this is.

Weather is showing a bit of rain tomorrow afternoon, nothing on Monday, then rain until 11am Tuesday morning with it remaining clear for the rest of the day.

Tuesdays game will be fine, if it was 3 days of non stop rain I would agree.

[...]

21 minutes ago, 47er said:

Have to sell the squad first though.

Yea, how else we gonna fund all the work that needs undertaking 

[johnradfordsubbuteo2]

I hope it's off. I just can't be arsed. it's utterly dispiriting. I know the conditions were difficult for the players but the standard of football was pitiful. And Ipswich were terrible too. But if we can't beat Wednesday twice we ought to be relegated.

I despair.

[...]

2 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

There were plenty in the BBE

Did see you today Ian but you were in full swing convo by the coffee shall say hello next time 👍🏻😊

[superniko]

35 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

I think the River Darwen is a red herring. This is down to blocked drains within the pitch itself resulting in it being extremely slow to drain and resulting in standing water after any period of rain.

Yeah the river hasn’t moved, the pitch hasn’t moved - yet it’s 3 games abandoned in 12 months or so, but I’m struggling to remember too many in the 20+ years prior 

It’s negligence and incompetence that has led to this  

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I think there has historically always been a problem with the Ewood pitch and the surrounding water table level.The Ground literally sits in a trough of a small surrounding Valley.

Remember the Old Riverside Stand had to be demolished due to the Foundations literally having rotted away!.

Edited 47 minutes ago by SIMON GARNERS 194

[RevidgeBlue]

38 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Memories of the 67-68 season.  An abandoned game followed by two postponed games - all due to a waterlogged pitch.  Clearly work to do in the summer on the pitch.

Just because it may have happened nearly 60 years ago doesn't make it acceptable or "just one of those things" in this day and age with the technology available Im afraid.

[London blue]

It's striking how many people (myself included) are now advocating for a points deduction and/or fine in response to how poorly the club is run.

I'd bite your hand off for a 50% increase in the chance of us being relegated if the wider media picked this up in the same way the Owls' troubles have been.

Fuck Venkys and by and large, everyone down to and including VI.