Sunderland (A) - Game off

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Just remarking on someone elses observation that it was an even worse way to call a game off when it was in fact completely unavoidable.

Anyway, back on topic, a really cant beleive people still think Sunderland are at fault. Just . someone even suggested it should have been called off earlier and not give the weather a chance to ease off. Feel sorry for those that wasted their journey, but shit happens im afraid.

So, do people still not recall us calling off a game 10 mins before kick off because it rained a bit too much? Of the fact we couldnt even complete a game v Leicester with our superb facilities that we should be so proud of? Think BMc has a right cheek saying it would have gone ahead at Reading in those circumstances given our track record.

How many more times! The game against Leicester was played on the sodding 1st January - months of poor weather and a pitch that had already taken a tremendous hammering from football and rugby during the first part of the season! Very, very, different circumstances. And other games called off 10 minutes before kick off due to rain? I suspect Elm Park, a very, very different set up from the SOL!

Yesterday was 25th August and pitches should have been in their prime. I think only two senior professional games were called off due to rain yesterday. The other was at Adams Park (Wycombe certainly can't afford to spend a great deal of money on their pitch) and at least that got to 63 minutes before it became unplayable.

IMO (backed up by the urgent meeting being called with their pitch providers), Sunderland's new pitch was as much to blame as the weather for yesterday's postponement.

Christ you sound bitter. A game was called off due to heavy rain. big deal. been to enough called off games before, part and parcel of being a football fan. But i have to admit Sunderland is a long way to go for that!

As for games being called off 10 mins before kick, it was when we were last in the PL. If Rugby was to blame then that is clearly the clubs fault for renting out the ground. Cheslea's game was close to being called off at one point yesterday, ground does flood at this time of year you know

[floyd__streete]

As for games being called off 10 mins before kick, it was when we were last in the PL.

Burnley home, FA Cup 2007.

The most galling thing about yesterday is that from the moment we arrived in Sunderland at around 1:45 to the moment we left, there was not a drop of rain! Could the game not have been put back to 5pm to allow the pitch to drain? Of course not.....these precious Premier League footballers have prepared for a 3pm kick off and Sunderland would be aghast at paying stewards etc. two hours overtime! So, sod the fans!

[philM]

From today's Telegraph..

=======================================================================================================
Sunderland have successfully turned the Stadium of Light into a concert venue to increase revenue streams outside of the football season, but having hosted Coldplay, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Bruce Springsteen in May and June, the pitch could not be re-laid as early as other clubs, which may well have contributed to the drainage problems.

Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne said: “We will meet with our pitch consultants immediately to carry out a full analysis of today’s events.”

The Premier League will await the Referee's report before deciding whether to take any disciplinary action against Sunderland.
=======================================================================================================

The problem was that the standing water (at all four corners) did not appear to be draining away, even long after the rain had stopped.

As BMcD said “There was no way they could play the game, the water didn’t look like it was going away. I don’t know if they have got a problem with the drains."

[Compo's Hat]

Baffled what weather forecasts they were checking to tell them it was going to rain until 9pm.

DO YOUR F'ING JOB PROPERLY SPACEY!!!


I also fell asleep on the train floyd but thankfully the last stop was Reading. Waste of a Guinness and chips which were hardly touched, wasn't sick though m8

[Barry the bird boggler]

From today's Telegraph..

=======================================================================================================
Sunderland have successfully turned the Bowl of Water into a concert venue to increase revenue streams outside of the football season, but having hosted Coldplay, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Bruce Springsteen in May and June, the pitch could not be re-laid as early as other clubs, which may well have contributed to the drainage problems.

Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne said: “We will meet with our pitch consultants immediately to carry out a full analysis of today’s events.”

The Premier League will await the Referee's report before deciding whether to take any disciplinary action against Sunderland.
=======================================================================================================

Corrected for you

[Upper West Ginger]

I suggest we all turn up in Sou-Westers and waders for the re-arranged match!
We'll have to work on some suitable chants too ...

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

I have just got back home after travelling up to Sunderland for the match.

I thought the Sunderland fans were taking the pi** telling me that the game was off as I walked to the ground.

They weren't!!

An expensive weekend trip for naff all.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Well, in a lifetime of murkings as a Reading FC supporter, our 2nd furthest game of the season being called off in August is right up there!

Was at Newcastle Central Metro when a text came through from Tony Le Mesmer. I knew there and then that the game would be called off, how many times do you hold an inspection for a game which eventually goes ahead? Not very often.

As Compo and I had train tickets back from Sunderland we took the Metro down there anyway and at all the suburban stops in between Newcastle and the SOL Sunderland fans boarded only to be told by us "game is off, lads". "Yoo Jockin'?" was the reply we got from the locals who turned out to be brilliant hosts in The Wheatsheaf pub when we had 3 and a half hours to kill.

Consequently, that 3 and a half hours, me panic-buying booze on the train home and Compo and I making a loud nuisance of ourselves in London on the way home led to me waking up in Reading rather than Twyford and having to flag down a £15 cab having been sick in my own mouth. I don't even want to check my wallet this morning as I think I will be sick when I see how much I have spent.

Would be nice to think that RFC would do something for those of us unlucky to have bought tickets and travelled to this match. A free coach up for the re-arranged? Don't be silly, they've blown the budget on song-sheets and clappers and they wouldn't countenance doing something for the average fan

Don't be silly floyd.

They provided 43 coaches to the Man City game a few years ago. They know how to treat fans

[Man Friday]

In this day and age, to cancel a match in August because of rainfall and not, say, because North Korea has declared war on the UK is very 20th century. Really feel for the fans that travelled. Reinforces my decision at the start of the season not to waste ridiculous amounts of time and money following football as I had done previously. Football fans must be the most pissed-on followers of a sport there's ever been.

[The Cap]

Got back a short while ago, via the Walkabout, and watchin LFC self-destruct aginst Citeh.

Anyway yesterday we were in Wetherspoons, in Sunderland City Centre, when an RFC mate, who didn't go to the game, text me to say that he'd heard the game had been called off. As we were staying over with a Mackem mate he feverishly broke out his Iphone to confirm the sad news. "No surely not" was the response from all and sundry. It was 1.45 p.m. GMT and there we were, getting stuck into the local large, only to find out that a trip to Blunderland had all been in vain. Of course we had to put a positive spin on things, as you do, and the expression about 'polishing a turd' came into the proceedings. Plenty more jibes followed that referred to the RFC contingent turning up with garden forks on our next visit. However, as we had flown up, it was quickly recognised that the airport gardia may have something to say about the transportation of said gardening implements.

So, overall, a very frustrating episode but not a completely lost cause as we were staying with friends who live up that way. Would like to think that the club will follow Sunderland's lead by, at the very least, offering refunds for match tickets. I mean once they rearrange the fixture, possibly for a Tuesday or Wednesday, how many diehards will be in a position to make a repeat journey?

[grey_squirrel]

As BMcD said “There was no way they could play the game, the water didn’t look like it was going away. I don’t know if they have got a problem with the drains."

Baaaaaaaldrick!

[phil in cornwall]

It was 1.45 p.m. GMT and there we were, getting stuck into the local large, only to find out that a trip to Blunderland had all been in vain.

Don't they use BST in Sunderland?

[The Cap]

phil in cornwall said

Don't they use BST in Sunderland?

No mate they do not use Bog Standard Turf, as was proven on Sat

[old woman]

As for games being called off 10 mins before kick, it was when we were last in the PL.

Burnley home, FA Cup 2007.

The most galling thing about yesterday is that from the moment we arrived in Sunderland at around 1:45 to the moment we left, there was not a drop of rain! Could the game not have been put back to 5pm to allow the pitch to drain? Of course not.....these precious Premier League footballers have prepared for a 3pm kick off and Sunderland would be aghast at paying stewards etc. two hours overtime! So, sod the fans!

Strange.... When we left Sunderland at 2.30,it was raining.
Ironically The chief executive mentions the new pitch and how great it looks in her programme notes.

[phil in cornwall]

phil in cornwall said

Don't they use BST in Sunderland?

No mate they do not use Bog Standard Turf, as was proven on Sat

I think it proves that is exactly what they use.

[Fox Talbot]

The day Reading played their first ever game in Division Four at Hartlepool (August 1971) there was a tremendous storm. At nearby Darlo their game was postponed - on the first day of the season! So it has happened up there before in August.

WORST EVER POSTPONEMENT - v Luton (h) Jan 1970 - we would have whupped them - but they were in better form when the re-arranged game took place and won. Without that maybe we'd have gone up??
BEST EVER POSTPONEMENT - v Walsall (a) 1998 - Tommy Burns insisting some random Jock called Smith be called up for Scotland U21s which meant we could call the game off due to unternational call-ups. We were on a run of 15 consecutive away defeats (approx) at the time but won the re-arranged game and our season improved.

[ReadingKC]

RFC fans who travel back to Sunderland for the reschedule should show up in Wadders and Blow Up Floaties....