Was it the right decision ?

[PalG]

Referee Gavin Ward, had said that the pitch was playable and was going to pass the pitch inspection until Gus Poyet refused to let his players play on the conditions. I can't really say too much as i haven't seen the pitch myself but for Poyet to refuse to play when the pitch is playable has pissed me off bigtime.

 

[Beach Hut]

I had no idea a manager can influence the referees decision.

 

[PalG]

I had no idea a manager can influence the referees decision.

Not much the referee can do when Poyet refuses to let the players play.

 

[e77]

The final decision is with the referee.

 

[Freddo]

Not much the referee can do when Poyet refuses to let the players play.

Source?

 

[Napper]

Where is this written ?

Hard to believe as can't believe Poyet wouldn't want to play and since when does he become a ref

Hudds and Charlton playing so fingers crossed on them. Can see Charlton losing which would be ok (draw better), hudds surely have a banker

 

[PalG]

Poyet had said it's not safe for his players to play, so the referee had no choice but to call it off due to safety reasons.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Not much the referee can do when Poyet refuses to let the players play.

That sounds like complete arse to me.

Since when has a manager been able to decide if the game goes ahead? If that was the case, games would have been called off left, right and centre over the years because Fergie or Wenger didn't fancy it.

If Poyet or any other manager refused to play when a qualified official deemed it playable, then the club responsible would be fined- and quite possibly docked points. Poyet is entitled to state his view, as I'm sure he did, but he cannot decide whether the game goes ahead or not.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Poyet could be in trouble if thats true.

 

[severnside gull]

If the conditions are at all (potentially) dangerous - which a frozen solid pitch is - then I believe both teams have to be willing to play.

We don't (currently) have the strongest squad in depth terms and our form is a bit sketchy. A couple of injuries to key players now and we could be seriously screwed for the games ahead so in my mind Gus would be right (if that is what happened) to not take the risk.

Reinforce, regroup, and play the games in better conditions which will suit our style - it's a winning mentality and I'm sure that the fans will back it if it improves our chances of promotion (even el Pres, god love him, after his wasted journey from Manchester this morning)

 

[e77]

If the game is borderline the managers are consulted but it is the referee's final decision.

 

[porkypie]

According to the official site the ref called of because he thought that the pitch would not defrost in time for the one 0 clock kick off

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

If the conditions are at all (potentially) dangerous - which a frozen solid pitch is - then I believe both teams have to be willing to play.

We don't (currently) have the strongest squad in depth terms and our form is a bit sketchy. A couple of injuries to key players now and we could be seriously screwed for the games ahead so in my mind Gus would be right (if that is what happened) to not take the risk.

Reinforce, regroup, and play the games in better conditions which will suit our style - it's a winning mentality and I'm sure that the fans will back it if it improves our chances of promotion (even el Pres, god love him, after his wasted journey from Manchester this morning)

Its up to the ref, if he says yes and one of the teams doesnt fancy it thats tough, look at the Ipswich game last week.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

If managers could make the decision then Ipswich v Leicester wouldn't have gone ahead in all that snow as Eriksson strongly objected to playing in it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Both clubs are reporting that the referee didn't think the pitch would defrost by 1pm.
When we played Torquay last January in the FA cup the referee was reluctant to say the game was on even though most Brighton supporters had already arrived and were waiting outside the ground at 1.30pm. We were told that Gus and the Torquay manager were happy to play and it was the ref who was stalling. Eventually the ref gave the go ahead.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Leyton OFF
Palace OFF
Southend OFF

How on earth could our match have been on? Its Dagenham - not the Eden Project.

Minus 7 in Essex last night and still minus 4.5 now. The temperature hasn't been above freezing for over a week. No way was the pitch playable.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

If managers could make the decision then Ipswich v Leicester wouldn't have gone ahead in all that snow as Eriksson strongly objected to playing in it.

indeed, plus if a team had 4 injured and 3 suspended for a key game the manager will just refuse to play if it was boarderline

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Leyton OFF
Palace OFF
Southend OFF

How on earth could our match have been on? Its Dagenham - not the Eden Project.

Minus 7 in Essex last night and still minus 4.5 now. The temperature hasn't been above freezing for over a week. No way was the pitch playable.

Don't be RIDICULOUS Bry, it's quite clearly the fault of the CLUB for failing to MAKE Dagenham do it earlier, of DAGENHAM for FAILING to exert enough control over the weather and for not spending three million quid on a state of the art floating invisible hot air cushion and undersoil heating and of the REFEREE for being so bloody INCONSIDERATE of the fans as opposed to the welfare of the delicate players.

 

[Conkers]

You all just got

 

[bhaexpress]

If the weather in Dagenham has been anything like here (and I'm only about 20 miles away as the crow flies) then the pitch would not have defrosted. The ground here has had the top layer of snow defrost only to freeze again at night and it's like a skating ring. Mind you I do get amused with the dog skidding all over the place.