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#Post#: 101629--------------------------------------------------
Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: robbieg
Date: February 16, 2026, 2:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Heard something of interest this morning on TalkSport regarding
two National League fixtures scheduled for last weekend.
Hartlepool v Sutton was cancelled on Friday morning to save a
wasted journey of five to six hours for the visitors [ including
their supporters] and yet the Woking v Altrincham fixture with
the same length of journey for the visitors was cancelled less
than one hour before kick off with supporters of both clubs
already inside with the reasoning being a waterlogged pitch.
The match referee apparently is based near Bournemouth but
didn't bother to travel until the day of the game and the pitch
was so unplayable that the hosts did an impromptu training
session on the pitch to prove it was fit to play.
Absolutely no consideration whatsoever given to Altrincham FC
and it begs the opinion as to why wasn't a local referee brought
in on the day before to save the visitors a long and fruitless
journey.
Please don't shoot me.It was only a story told by Jeff Stelling
and Ally McCoist.
#Post#: 101650--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: Ref Watcher
Date: February 17, 2026, 3:44 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: robbieg link ---
>
> The match referee apparently is based near Bournemouth but
didn't bother to travel until the day of the game
>
--- End Quote ---
"Didn't bother" is rather harsh. Officials at this level are
not full time. Without knowing their personal circumstances,
such criticism is unwarranted.
#Post#: 101651--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: El Referee
Date: February 17, 2026, 3:59 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: robbieg link ---
>
> Heard something of interest this morning on TalkSport
regarding two National League fixtures scheduled for last
weekend.
>
> Absolutely no consideration whatsoever given to Altrincham FC
and it begs the opinion as to why wasn't a local referee brought
in on the day before to save the visitors a long and fruitless
journey.
>
> Please don't shoot me.It was only a story told by Jeff
Stelling and Ally McCoist.
>
--- End Quote ---
I’d highly doubt that a local referee wasn’t brought in at some
point the day before or early the day of. Pretty standard and
that level. I still do the odd inspection for some clubs arounds
that level now.
Most likely candidate for Altrincham would be Anthony Taylor.
But if he was busy, I’m sure someone else would be asked
#Post#: 101652--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: elbee94
Date: February 17, 2026, 4:04 am
---------------------------------------------------------
There’s no winning in these situations for me. If you call games
off early, it saves travel but in some cases you just can’t tell
how playable the pitch is. Or the weather that causes the
postponement might not hit until the afternoon of the match. As
another poster notes, the match official might have been working
or had other commitments and couldn’t attend until matchday.
If you call off every game that is predicted to have bad enough
weather, you’ll end up with major fixture congestion. I know
some clubs at National League level hardly have a Tuesday free
until the end of the season now.
Sometimes things are just unfortunate and have to be accepted as
bad luck.
#Post#: 101662--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: Leggy
Date: February 17, 2026, 12:26 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: El Referee link ---
>
> [quote author=robbieg link=topic=7727.msg101629#msg101629
date=1771273111]
> Heard something of interest this morning on TalkSport
regarding two National League fixtures scheduled for last
weekend.
>
> Absolutely no consideration whatsoever given to Altrincham FC
and it begs the opinion as to why wasn't a local referee brought
in on the day before to save the visitors a long and fruitless
journey.
>
> Please don't shoot me.It was only a story told by Jeff
Stelling and Ally McCoist.
>
--- End Quote ---
I’d highly doubt that a local referee wasn’t brought in at some
point the day before or early the day of. Pretty standard and
that level. I still do the odd inspection for some clubs arounds
that level now.
Most unlike to have been AT on the pitch inspection, as the game
was at Sutton.
Most likely candidate for Altrincham would be Anthony Taylor.
But if he was busy, I’m sure someone else would be asked
[/quote]
#Post#: 101665--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: robbieg
Date: February 17, 2026, 2:44 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Ref Watcher link ---
>
> [quote author=robbieg link=topic=7727.msg101629#msg101629
date=1771273111]
> The match referee apparently is based near Bournemouth but
didn't bother to travel until the day of the game
>
--- End Quote ---
"Didn't bother" is rather harsh. Officials at this level are
not full time. Without knowing their personal circumstances,
such criticism is unwarranted.
[/quote]
I RESPECTFULLY asked not to shoot me as I was only quoting what
was said on the radio.
#Post#: 101666--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: El Referee
Date: February 17, 2026, 3:31 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Leggy link ---
>
> [quote author=El Referee link=topic=7727.msg101651#msg101651
date=1771322392]
> [quote author=robbieg link=topic=7727.msg101629#msg101629
date=1771273111]
> Heard something of interest this morning on TalkSport
regarding two National League fixtures scheduled for last
weekend.
>
> Absolutely no consideration whatsoever given to Altrincham FC
and it begs the opinion as to why wasn't a local referee brought
in on the day before to save the visitors a long and fruitless
journey.
>
> Please don't shoot me.It was only a story told by Jeff
Stelling and Ally McCoist.
>
--- End Quote ---
I’d highly doubt that a local referee wasn’t brought in at some
point the day before or early the day of. Pretty standard and
that level. I still do the odd inspection for some clubs arounds
that level now.
Most unlike to have been AT on the pitch inspection, as the game
was at Sutton.
Most likely candidate for Altrincham would be Anthony Taylor.
But if he was busy, I’m sure someone else would be asked
[/quote]
[/quote]
You’re right! Completely read the teams wrong! But point still
stands. Just swap AT for someone else 😊
#Post#: 101677--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: nemesis
Date: February 18, 2026, 4:18 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: elbee94 link ---
>
> There’s no winning in these situations for me. If you call
games off early, it saves travel but in some cases you just
can’t tell how playable the pitch is. Or the weather that causes
the postponement might not hit until the afternoon of the match.
As another poster notes, the match official might have been
working or had other commitments and couldn’t attend until
matchday.
>
> If you call off every game that is predicted to have bad
enough weather, you’ll end up with major fixture congestion. I
know some clubs at National League level hardly have a Tuesday
free until the end of the season now.
>
> Sometimes things are just unfortunate and have to be accepted
as bad luck.
>
--- End Quote ---
Easy win in this situation ....... play the game.
Both teams and managers wanted to play. Coverage of the training
session, which the crowd were invited to stay and watch showed a
perfectly playable pitch. No groundsman would allow his pitch to
be trashed for a training session if it was really waterlogged.
Some referees are far too precious about the state of their
pitches. Yes, I know a challenging pitch sometimes makes for a
more difficult game to referee. Tough ... get on with it.
#Post#: 101693--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: February 18, 2026, 10:35 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: nemesis link ---
>
> [quote author=elbee94 link=topic=7727.msg101652#msg101652
date=1771322678]
> There’s no winning in these situations for me. If you call
games off early, it saves travel but in some cases you just
can’t tell how playable the pitch is. Or the weather that causes
the postponement might not hit until the afternoon of the match.
As another poster notes, the match official might have been
working or had other commitments and couldn’t attend until
matchday.
>
> If you call off every game that is predicted to have bad
enough weather, you’ll end up with major fixture congestion. I
know some clubs at National League level hardly have a Tuesday
free until the end of the season now.
>
> Sometimes things are just unfortunate and have to be accepted
as bad luck.
>
--- End Quote ---
Easy win in this situation ....... play the game.
Both teams and managers wanted to play. Coverage of the training
session, which the crowd were invited to stay and watch showed a
perfectly playable pitch. No groundsman would allow his pitch to
be trashed for a training session if it was really waterlogged.
Some referees are far to precious about the state of their
pitches. Yes, I know a challenging pitch sometimes makes for a
more difficult game to referee. Tough ... get on with it.
[/quote]
Yes I agree there is too much erring on the side of caution and
the default position is to play the game if at all possible. One
day of course there will be a sliding tackle on a very wet pitch
and a player gets his leg badly broken. Who is to blame ? Why
the referee of course for such a terrible and reckless decision
to let the game go ahead in dangerous conditions. Damned if you
do and damned if you don't but of course every referee knows
that is part of the territory of officiating. It's amazing
though how those most vocal in wanting a match to go ahead are
the biggest moaners if one of their players gets injured.
#Post#: 101694--------------------------------------------------
Re: Last minute fixture postponments
DIR By: rustyref
Date: February 18, 2026, 10:46 am
---------------------------------------------------------
What has been missed here is the decision as to whether a pitch
inspection is needed is down to the home club. They would tell
the referee and either he would go and inspect it himself, or if
too far the club would have a list of local referees of a
suitable level to go and have a look. Perhaps the Woking ground
staff thought the pitch was OK and didn't ask for an inspection,
if so I don't see how any blame can be put on referees.
I can remember one FA Cup game I was down to do where it had
rained relentlessly for days, the ground in question was known
for not draining well so I was very surprised not to get a phone
call that morning. So I got there early, about 3 hours before
kick off, and it wasn't even close to being playable. Found the
groundsman and after a lot of arguing I told him he either
worked on the pitch or I was calling it off there and then. He
reluctantly got the aerator out found a load of people to fork
it, but an hour later it was no better and with it still raining
heavily I called it off. Wasn't my fault, I could have turned
up at 90 minutes before KO and called it off then, the fault was
100% with the home club for not arranging an inspection.
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