Charlton Weather Watch/Build Up - game called off! (Dejavu?)

[dune]

Ffs.

[Saint dyer]

Whatever angle we look at, it's wrong. Should of been called off at 9am latest

[dune]

The way it's going with all this global warming they will have to extend the season.

[Dr Who?]

Pity the FA don't rigidly apply that pressure to their performances during a game?

 

Oh they do, just take a look at todays ref for example and how he has fallen!! They get relegated for their errors and that has a huge finacial inpact just like when players keep making mistakes and lose their place get sold and keep doing it slide down the leagues.

 

You tell me a player who never makes a mistake, they are all human. I agree that referees need to be more approachable, and explain why they have made a decision, and also say when they get something wrong, but this is starting to happen with the respect campiagn.

 

http://www.thefa.com/leagues/respect

 

[Dr Who?]

Whatever angle we look at, it's wrong. Should of been called off at 9am latest

 

Yes for the fans point of view I 100% agree, and as a fan I would not have wanted to make the trip for the game to be called off. On the flip side the FA again tell all referees that they must try and get the game on and give it time. So really they cannot win!

[Saint Garrett]

Was in the pub when I found out, just on the coach on the way home now, absolute joke, from what I heard it should have been on! Not happy at all, it should have been called off yesterday or by 10 latest IMO. Plus, surely if both sets of players/managers were happy enough to play it. It should have been fine!

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Oh they do, just take a look at todays ref for example and how he has fallen!! They get relegated for their errors and that has a huge finacial inpact just like when players keep making mistakes and lose their place get sold and keep doing it slide down the leagues.

 

You tell me a player who never makes a mistake, they are all human. I agree that referees need to be more approachable, and explain why they have made a decision, and also say when they get something wrong, but this is starting to happen with the respect campiagn.

 

http://www.thefa.com/leagues/respect

 

 

Brilliant video TBF.

 

Ok, so a ref makes a mess of a game, and we've had it at least twice down here this season, how do the fans know he has been called in for refocusing or whatever is needed? Until we see a twit like D'Urso inflicted on us then we know we're being punished. Oooops! Sorry! He's being punished.

[Dr Who?]

Was in the pub when I found out, just on the coach on the way home now, absolute joke, from what I heard it should have been on! Not happy at all, it should have been called off yesterday or by 10 latest IMO. Plus, surely if both sets of players/managers were happy enough to play it. It should have been fine!

 

AGREED! I think the managers and players from each side could sign something to say they are happy to play, but you will find that some players just want the choice made for them!

[Dr Who?]

Brilliant video TBF.

 

Ok, so a ref makes a mess of a game, and we've had it at least twice down here this season, how do the fans know he has been called in for refocusing or whatever is needed? Until we see a twit like D'Urso inflicted on us then we know we're being punished. Oooops! Sorry! He's being punished.

 

To go from the Premier league to league 1 suggest to me that he should be banned from refereeing, but he got to the premier league so must had been a really good ref to get there. I also think that most supports do not know a lot of the laws of the game, and what referees HAVE to carry out. You should go on the basic referee course it is an eye opener. When I am at games now and everyone is losing their head I just say to myself, but the referee was right to do that under the directive of the FA, but maybe not in common sence!

 

I always find that when I am refereeing a game you have 11 players that love you and 11 players that hate you, and this flips sides all through the game depending on which team feels hard done by. I often get 'that is a top decision ref' at the same time as 'what the **** was that for, are you blind'. This is also the same for managers and fans, and you just have to carry on as you feel best.

 

The gap is closing and referees try and get the players involved and build up respect, but referee decisions in games seem to be getting worse... perhaps the focus should be on this and also one referee in each half or on the pitch as it moves so quickly, and in Sunday league one end to the other with one hump of the ball!!

 

Great fun though!!

[Eastcowzer]

If it's been called off because of this then D'Urso is a f*cking w*nker.

 

Tut,tut, the xmas spirit.

Besides, it took you long enough to work Mr D'Urso's status out. 99% of football fans all ready knew that, hence the reason he's deemed to be unfit to referee in the Premier League, -- and barely competent enough for the Football League

Why not add the word 'super' before your final two words.

Merry Xmas all. See you on Tuesday, hopefully !

[Alain Perrin]

Referees get a bad rep from fans when (most of the time) it is down to players using kidology to win penalties, get players carded or sent off. Witness the Sky commentators bemoaning the fact that the ref 'fell for that' when a player dives - why isn't the player being criticised.

 

Yes, refs make mistakes but they don't have the benefit of super slo-mo replays - and get grief no matter what decision they make. It's not something I would want to do.

[Jonnyboy]

Does this mean D'uhbrain wont be ref for the replay?

[up and away]

He would have been convinced by the groundsmen and the club that they will get the game on, but they have failed not the referee. Players safety is the most important thing, and if anything happens to the players and the ref has let the game go ahead. The ref will lose points get relegated and lose money. The referees are put under so much pressure to get things right by the FA.

 

I don't know the exact details apart from what is published, but the Charlton ground staff had a duty of informing the FA if the pitch was not playable. This was clearly not done otherwise we would not have had this problem. I fully understand a game could have been played upon the pitch, but at what cost? The referee then has to make allowances for players sliding around uncontrollably and that the standard rules of the game cannot be employed without mind to the conditions.

 

One ******* blower? this just shows what a micky mouse league this is. I've seen games in the past where they have had greater success with straw! D'Urso may be at fault here, but the Charlton management and groundsman are the main culprits. I would imagine both managers have cabin fever by now and would have wanted the game played, but that does not make it anywhere near correct.

[Nutwood2]

Well, just watched Jenny Agutter again in the Railway Children. Certainly beats watching Jason Puncheon and Bradley Wright Phillips!

[Um Bongo]

Charlton managing director Stephen Kavanagh said Charlton’s pitch would have been playable had it not been for the actions of referee Andy D’Urso.

 

The fuming Addicks official claimed that D’Urso told him he was concerned about one touchline where the linesman would be running down so his ground staff moved their warm air blower from the opposite corner of the ground.

 

When D’Urso came out for his final pitch inspection at midday he headed straight for the area where the blower had been moved from and didn’t look at what he had previously said was his area of concern.

 

A furious Kavanagh said: “With the players being here, the fans coming along and the effort of the fans, the staff, the groundsman is phenomenal.

 

“In my opinion that was playable. I’m not a referee and the referee has to have concerns about the players’ fitness but both managers came to me afterwards and said ‘can we train on the pitch now?’ “To me that says both managers and the players are happy to play on that.

 

“There was one area of the pitch he’s called it off on. Ten minutes before that we had a blower on that area of the pitch but he said he had a concern about the other touchline so naturally we took the blower away to work on the other touchline.

 

“He came out, ignored the touchline we were working on that he was concerned with and went straight to the area of the ground where the blower had been working and called it off on that area.

 

“I’m sorry but I’m disappointed for all the fans, both teams, the staff and all the supporters who came there to try and get this game on.

 

“In everyone’s view apart from the referee that was playable and I don’t understand why we’ve not played.”

 

Taken from The Daily Echo.

 

If true, that's absurd.

[channonball]

Just back after reaching 2 miles from Charlton and a 5 hour round trip with a chocca M25. F**king disgrace, every game in London called off at a reasonable hour except ours!! I totally understand having to call a game off, but its the manner of it that bothers me.

[channonball]

I wonder how many £k's expense has been wasted by the clubs and fans because of D'Urso's cock up, not to mention the unnecessary pollution. Why couldn't they move the kick off back 1 or 2 hours until the pitch was in a playable condition?

[itchen_dan]

I wonder how many £k's expense has been wasted by the clubs and fans because of D'Urso's cock up, not to mention the unnecessary pollution. Why couldn't they move the kick off back 1 or 2 hours until the pitch was in a playable condition?

 

No, that's too simple for D'Urso

[Bourno]

Just back after reaching 2 miles from Charlton and a 5 hour round trip with a chocca M25. F**king disgrace, every game in London called off at a reasonable hour except ours!! I totally understand having to call a game off, but its the manner of it that bothers me.

 

Same here, 5 hours for a maccy d's is taking the pish.

[Saint Billy]

This has got to be one of our best xmas periods ever, no points lost.

 

Happy days!

 

Feel sorry for those that made the trip though.

Edited 26 December, 2010 by Saint Billy

[dickyhale]

204.7 miles round trip for nothing

Oh well COYR

[CitySaint]

Just back, 2 pints in the pub in charlton for about 5 hours out of my day. D'urso you are a disgrace.

[yamms_schmitz]

Just got back after getting 2.2 miles from the ground. This was total farce. On the way up all the matches were being called off, but not ours. Why? Because the ref didn't get there till 10.30am. It got to 11am, and i thought to myself, if it was going to be called off, it would have been by now. All we can do is moan. As usual nothing will come of it, and the ref will keep a low profile. All will be forgotten. Football continues.

 

An apology over the timing of the decision at the very least would be a start from the ref.

[Andy_Porter]

I don't think I will bother with any away games for a while after these last few weeks. Have tickets for Daggers next monday but after that I doubt I'll bother for a while.

 

Lost quite a lot of money thanks to MK, Hartlepool, Walsall and Charlton getting postponed. Today especially was a joke, it was lovely weather in Charlton any ice where the linesman had to run would soon turn to slush. D'urso probably couldn't be arsed to earn his money.

[Um Bongo]

I don't think I will bother with any away games for a while after these last few weeks. Have tickets for Daggers next monday but after that I doubt I'll bother for a while.

 

Lost quite a lot of money thanks to MK, Hartlepool, Walsall and Charlton getting postponed. Today especially was a joke, it was lovely weather in Charlton any ice where the linesman had to run would soon turn to slush. D'urso probably couldn't be arsed to earn his money.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Daggers game is called off as well, if the weather doesn't warm up.

[Andy_Porter]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Daggers game is called off as well, if the weather doesn't warm up.

 

Yeah I'm not confident, if it does get called off and I'm already up there I'll just spend the day on the lash in London.

[Chez]

what a complete waste of a day. Charlton obviously tried their best, but they and D'Urso should be held to account for calling it off that late. Matches should be called off at the time when away fans would normally set off. I can understand freak storms but no excuse today.

[TheSaint75]

Just back from the game!!!

Parked up at 12:00, walked 10 yards to be told it's off...WTF, couldn't they have made that decision 2 hours earlier and saved everyone a few quid in travel expenses we won't get back (even though my company pay my fuel)

Decided to take the ma and pa on a little sightseeing trip through London.......now I got to go to the in-laws SH1T day

[markr27]

Same here, 5 hours for a maccy d's is taking the pish.

 

LOL. May have seen you in there...

Three guys behind us told us the news at around 1215hrs.

 

Cannot quite work out why he left it for a further 90 mins from his intial pitch inspection - expecting the pitch and surrounding areas to dry out in temperatures close to 0c?

The ice around the local area was quite bas as well, especially in the Industrial Park close to the Anglican pub....

I recovered just in time before going arse over tit.

[croydonsaint]

are these referees not accountable. There is no justification for leaving it so late to postpone the game. How can he do that and get away with it? Can not get my head around it.

[positivepete]

Couldn't he just put it back to a 2 pm or 3pm kick off to give time to clear the problem areas? The fans would have been more than happy to wait. What a waste of a day. I am sure he will get a warm reception when he next refs at St Marys

[Griffo]

Living in South London it wasn't too bad but I feel sorry for you lot travelling up from S'oton. Charlton will be fairly accessible to most on a Tuesday with trains running normally again however. D'urso is a ****** and to call it off that late is unbelievable.

[mirrorcarp]

Just got back,me and my mates hired a limo,£420 for the day.F........... , off.Thank you mr d urso

[Deppo]

Does this mean D'uhbrain wont be ref for the replay?

 

Yep. He's already called off the replay though. Fair play, I say, for giving long enough notice. At least he's learned his lesson and we can all move on now.

[Ashley Grute]

On the plus side me and my mate got to share a KFC family bucket in Greenwich!

[Dr Who?]

So most of you are saying the game should have been called off early while a few are saying why not leave it a couple more hours. Now by delaying the decision the referee was trying to see if he could get the game on, now if you leave it another 3 hours how woud you feel if the game was still called off after all that time? You cannot win.

 

Not easy at all the -4 from sunrise can change to well up to 7/8/9 degrees by lunchtime, and you would not be happy if the game was called off before you leave at 9am only to find out that it was frost free come lunchtime and 4 or 5 degrees?

 

But you could get rid of all the grey areas and say right all games have to be called off if the pitch is frozen at 9am, but you will find that much more games will be called off if you do it this way during the height of the winter.

 

There is no easy solution.

[stevegrant]

Living in South London it wasn't too bad but I feel sorry for you lot travelling up from S'oton.

It still took me two hours to get to Greenwich from Croydon via a frustrating combination of tram, train and bus

[Dr Who?]

I don't know the exact details apart from what is published, but the Charlton ground staff had a duty of informing the FA if the pitch was not playable. This was clearly not done otherwise we would not have had this problem. I fully understand a game could have been played upon the pitch, but at what cost? The referee then has to make allowances for players sliding around uncontrollably and that the standard rules of the game cannot be employed without mind to the conditions.

 

One ******* blower? this just shows what a micky mouse league this is. I've seen games in the past where they have had greater success with straw! D'Urso may be at fault here, but the Charlton management and groundsman are the main culprits. I would imagine both managers have cabin fever by now and would have wanted the game played, but that does not make it anywhere near correct.

 

Charlton football club can contact the FA and say that the pitch is not playable up until the referee arrives at the ground, and then it is up to the referee. I should amagine the referee did not think the game would go ahead but when in all be it later, and tried to give it time. I would have done the same, once I have arrived at the ground you have to see it as close to fit to play as you have travelled in yourself. It is the worst thing arriving at the game only to call it off, we all want the game to go ahead as fans, players club officals and the referee and his assistance. They are all there at this time so no reason not to go ahead apart from the area of play not being safe to play on for the PLAYERS as this is the main thing that is drilled into you at your training for the game to go ahead. Him as a referee, he must have been bloody good to get to the premier league, but god knows why he has done so bad over the last few seasons to be in league 1? But it is the same as players they slid away to the lower league if they do not stay on top of their game.

[yamms_schmitz]

Just got back,me and my mates hired a limo,£420 for the day.F........... , off.Thank you mr d urso

 

Thought i saw a limo at fleet with red and white scarfs. Was that you?

[sandwichsaint]

Some karp written on here today, I called it as 50-50 last Thursday relying on nothing more sophisticated than BBC 5 day forecasts, UK travel news and sticking my head out of the window from 60 miles away - this was always going to go to the wire (if we wanted to see any football today) , or we could have just binned it yesterday (or on Friday) and saved the masses a wasted journey/ruined day.....

 

Charlton got 40 volunteers in on Thursday to clear the streets and the ground of snow and ice ... unfortunately they forgot to look at the forecast that said -4 to -5 on Thu, Fri, Sat evenings.

 

Let's forget D'Urso (he calls it as he sees it) and put the blame where it properly lies on GREEDY CHARLTON ... they wanted their boxing day crowd and their programme and burger money .... unfortunately they could only provide Aldi-stylee tarps and ONE BLOWER!!! WTF do blowers cost to rent for a week from a tool hire company ... 50 quid a piece?

 

Check the link on their website where the groundsman says he was so keen to get the game on 'he even popped in yesterday!' ... check that .... a fairly large-scale sporting event which involves 20k people travelling for their much-anticipated boxing day fare .... and the home club have a paid groundsman, his assistants, a handful of YTS kids and some local volunteers, all working round-the-clock to get the game on. Err, NO! .... for this big day out the groundsman just 'popped in' at some stage. Hence why today's conditions came as such a surprise ... the areas in shade were frozen and they needed MORE THAN ONE BLOWER.... FFS!

 

 

Lay off D'Urso .... GREEDY CHARLTON .... the Anti Gallitican may never make 'away pub of the year' but it does have a cracking soundtrack!

[stockportsaint]

Perhaps doctor who or another "ref in the know" can answer this:

If d'arso postponed it due to the linesmans area on one touchline not being safe, why didn't he simply have both linesmen run the line on the sunny side of the pitch? Or is there another FA directive that would prevent this simple, common sense approach?

[Gemmel]

Some karp written on here today, I called it as 50-50 last Thursday relying on nothing more sophisticated than BBC 5 day forecasts, UK travel news and sticking my head out of the window from 60 miles away - this was always going to go to the wire (if we wanted to see any football today) , or we could have just binned it yesterday (or on Friday) and saved the masses a wasted journey/ruined day.....

 

Charlton got 40 volunteers in on Thursday to clear the streets and the ground of snow and ice ... unfortunately they forgot to look at the forecast that said -4 to -5 on Thu, Fri, Sat evenings.

 

Let's forget D'Urso (he calls it as he sees it) and put the blame where it properly lies on GREEDY CHARLTON ... they wanted their boxing day crowd and their programme and burger money .... unfortunately they could only provide Aldi-stylee tarps and ONE BLOWER!!! WTF do blowers cost to rent for a week from a tool hire company ... 50 quid a piece?

 

Check the link on their website where the groundsman says he was so keen to get the game on 'he even popped in yesterday!' ... check that .... a fairly large-scale sporting event which involves 20k people travelling for their much-anticipated boxing day fare .... and the home club have a paid groundsman, his assistants, a handful of YTS kids and some local volunteers, all working round-the-clock to get the game on. Err, NO! .... for this big day out the groundsman just 'popped in' at some stage. Hence why today's conditions came as such a surprise ... the areas in shade were frozen and they needed MORE THAN ONE BLOWER.... FFS!

 

 

Lay off D'Urso .... GREEDY CHARLTON .... the Anti Gallitican may never make 'away pub of the year' but it does have a cracking soundtrack!

 

Nice theory, execept he did a pitch inspection at 9.00 or 11.00. If it wasnt playable then he should have called off it then. I genuinely think he likes seeing his name in the papers.

[Saint_clark]

They said on the FL show that the Charlton groundsman told them it was the worst decision he'd seen in 20 years.

[sandwichsaint]

Nice theory, execept he did a pitch inspection at 9.00 or 11.00. If it wasnt playable then he should have called off it then. I genuinely think he likes seeing his name in the papers.

 

The ref only inspects what the home team put in front of him.

 

How did it pass a pitch inspection on friday ... what time of day was that done?

 

Did Charlton take readings yesterday at 10-11-12-1-2-3 oclock? .... looking at the comments on their website the groundsman only 'popped in'; on xmas day!

 

Why did charlton think they could get it on with schit covers and ONE blower (when the forecast was -5)? Where was the straw FFS???

 

Why did it appear to be a surprise that the shady bits were the most frozen?

 

.....

 

I also wondered about both linesman being on the same touchline .... but would leave big 'blind spots' ... and would still require a touch judge on the other side ... the rules just don't allow for it.

 

Biggest MISSED trick .... why didn't they just pull the sidelines in 2m-3m both sides ????!!!!

[ericofarabia]

Perhaps we will get a better ref for the re-match..... I can now enjoy the rest of Christmas without Saints ****ing it up!!! Bring on the Cricket!!

 

Does this mean D'uhbrain wont be ref for the replay?

 

Please please please don't let him be in charge for the re arranged fixture (or any other match involving us this season).

 

If that happens then the day was not a complete disaster!! (In a glass half full type of way - not much good for those hardy souls who had their Boxing Day ruined - but imagine how bad it could have been had that ***t been in charge and sent off a couple of our players and awarded Charlton a few dodgy penos!)

[Matthew Le God]

Andy D'Urso explains his decision...

 

http://www.cafctv.co.uk/articles/20101227/durso-explains-decision_2285314_2252231/0,,10267~2252231~1,00.html

 

You can use your Saints Player login to hear it.

[ken]

I don't subscribe, can you tell me what he says.

However is to blame, whether it be D'Urso, CAFC, the groundsman, FL for not having a decent policy, doesn't really matter who, it's 2010 FFS not the dark ages sort it out!!

[Window Cleaner]

I don't subscribe, can you tell me what he says.

However is to blame, whether it be D'Urso, CAFC, the groundsman, FL for not having a decent policy, doesn't really matter who, it's 2010 FFS not the dark ages sort it out!!

 

it's a bit difficult to hear and he has an atrocious estuary accent so I can't sorry.