Mike Thorpe - TWAT

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

In the Argus

Albion's League One game against Gillingham at Withdean has been postponed. The game was called off at 6pm by match referee Mike Thorpe because of a frozen pitch with air temperatures plummeting. The pitch had already passed one inspection, but conditions worsened later in the afternoon.

What - plummetting air temperatures - on a DECEMBER evening ? Well, I suppose with these FREAK weather conditions, its all too easy to get caught out, isn't it.

The frost has been pretty much EVIL by about half five every evening this week. Wasn't exactly rocket science that it would be much the same tonight.

 

[Easy 10]

The frost has been pretty much EVIL by about half five every evening this week. Wasn't exactly rocket science that it would be much the same tonight.

Not really, no. I wasn't alone in thinking 2.30 was an odd time for a pitch inspection if there was a risk of it being frozen off. What did he THINK was going to happen as darkness fell ? Some kind of calypso evening ? A remarkable warm front, sweeping in from the Bahamas ? It was obvious we'd be absolutely freezing our BOLLOCKS off tonight. If it was iffy at 2.30, it could only have got worse. Truley unbelievable.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

What - plummetting air temperatures - on a DECEMBER evening ? Well, I suppose with these FREAK weather conditions, its all too easy to get caught out, isn't it.

And I'll repeat myself again as I've been checking the weather all week mainly for something tomorrow, but the two weather sites I've been using have been predicting the same thing, that the temperatures would rise during today but not drop during the evening because they were expecting a change of front from east back to west making it milder than it has been during the previous couple of nights.

The point about making a pitch inspection at 2.00 is that the grass has had the benefit of a day's sun so if it is unplayable then the match would be off. I'd imagine Thorpe looked at the pitch, studied the data from the weather office which stated temperatures would not plummet but remain mild and made his decision then - I also expect the decision was taken then so as to inform officials from Gillingham what the state of affairs was. Doing it any later would be unprofessional from the club's point of view in regard to the opposing team and I'm sure there are probably FA rules on notifying opposing teams regarding timings of pitch inspections.

However, the forecast has not panned out as predicted which has resulted in temperatures plummeting again - is that the fault of the ref? The weather forecast was wrong, the expected shift has not happened which has meant the prediction is incorrect. The ref can only work with the data he has been given and in this case he had to go by it and the data has proved to be incorrect, nothing to do with the ref.

 

[tedebear]

If the ref had to call the game on the state of the pitch then sounds as if we would be playing - but he had to call it on the state of the running track, not really his forte?...give the guy a break, or someone else may have had a break of their own to deal with, ie leg or neck or back...

 

[Easy 10]

T of T
It was frigging freezing cold when I left at 8am this morning.
It was frigging freezing cold when I went for a pint at 1pm
It was even colder when I popped out the office at around 3pm for a bag of mini chedders
By the time it was DARK, just like the last couple of weeks, it was pearl harbour. Brass monkeys.
ANYONE who thought it was actually going to get warmer as the day wore on could have known from lunchtime that it wouldn't be the case. You don't need to look at isobars and weather charts - it was fecking cold, it was STAYING that way, and it wern't gonna get any better once the sun went down.

Sometimes people seem to get blinded by science. That ref could have opened the f***ing WINDOW at 3pm and known there would be NO chance if the pitch was already iffy.

 

[Easy 10]

If the ref had to call the game on the state of the pitch then sounds as if we would be playing - but he had to call it on the state of the running track, not really his forte?...give the guy a break, or someone else may have had a break of their own to deal with, ie leg or neck or back...

Thats not the reason we're being given though Tedebear. The Argus and Sky have confirmed the match was postponed because of a "frozen pitch" - caused by rapidly dropping temperatures. In December. At night.

 

[tedebear]

Thats not the reason we're being given though Tedebear. The Argus and Sky have confirmed the match was postponed because of a "frozen pitch" - caused by rapidly dropping temperatures. In December. At night.

Ok - sorry I've read some comments about the running track but just assumed that was the reason...

 

[Easy 10]

No need to apologise TB.
Its the ref thats bollocksed everyones evening up.

 

[PC BHA]

Theatre of trees.. you are absolutely spot on with all points in your post.

 

[Juan Albion]

Didn't anyone think to ask Uncle Spielberg?

 

[Yoda]

The point about making a pitch inspection at 2.00 is that the grass has had the benefit of a day's sun so if it is unplayable then the match would be off.

But that's one of the big points other people have made on other threads. Not all the pitch (only about 1/3 of it does) get sunlight on it during the day in the winter.

 

[clapham_gull]

Didn't anyone think to ask Uncle Spielberg?

Didn't anyone think to ask Downloaded Penguin ?

 

[Scotty Mac]

because of this refs incompotence, ive ended up in central brighton tonight going for a shockingly HORRIBLE curry

i feel inconvenienced having traveled from burgess hill for this - the people i feel most sorry for though are those that have traveled a lot further. its been a total COCK up - especially to say it is going to be ON

 

[Scotty Mac]

Didn't anyone think to ask Downloaded Penguin ?

dont be silly - his use of capitals was incorrect

 

[The Large One]

Supposing the weather forecast had actually been *gasp* correct, the game would have been perfectly playable.

The ref - not being a weatherman - gets his info from the weathermen, and trusts their word. Just because there was a frost the previous nights, it doesn't automatically follow there would have been last night. And, Easy 10, you're a wuss - it wasn't as cold yesterday as it had been for the rest of the week.

And Scotty, my heart bleeds for you, you poor, poor soul.

 

[Scotty Mac]

And Scotty, miy heart bleeds for you, you poor, poor soul.

- thank you, its nice to know someone cares

 

[The Timekeeper]

I was in my car driving from Horsham and was just approaching Mill road roundabout, when I heard the game was off. Planning a re-union with one or two mates in the boozer beforehand, turned around headed back home, then the heater packed up on my car. Bloody fed up now, it's going to cost a few hundred to put right too. I blame Mike Thorpe for everything, my family can't eat now on Christmas day due to the excess cost of my car.

 

[Ding Dong !]

It should have been called off at the 2.30 inspection, NOT whilst I was in the Sportsman !!!!!!! After a slow train journey.

 

[bright1064]

I was on my way to the game when I found out that it was called off at Brighton station. It didn't put me out too much, but I know that it caused others real problems. Mike Thorpe could have warned us of another (later) pitch inspection, instead the game was 100% on at 2.30pm!