A&H

Open Age Poor pitch inspection

SM

SM

The avuncular one
After rain on Friday night, I didn't believe my Saturday game would be on. Its a notorious pitch which has incredibly bad drainage and is a mess once the rain starts during a season.

The pitch inspection was done by a nearby colleague, I get the nod that the game is on, much to my surprise. I get there early and the pitch looks fine from a distance, it has grass on it and everything (!) but from walking on it, straight away you can see that there are a small number of fairly firm patches but it is mostly very, very soft. Ball will bounce pre-kick off, before players run on it, but I know as soon as there are a few challenges, it will become cut up, sticky mud. The ref doing the pitch inspection has stitched me up!

It was in my mind, I should call this off (which is what I would have done if I had done the pitch inspection), but of course that causes all kinds of problems with expenses, travelling players and for the original ref who has done the pitch inspection, especially given the pitch looks okay before it has been played on and my decision would have been based on experience rather than the visible state of the pitch at the time.

Did the game, the pitch was a mess from 5 minutes in - unnatural ball bounces, ball sticking in the mud. Both teams wanted to play, I let them get on with it. Wasn't hugely happy, especially as it was a nightmare for me to run on.

Thoughts?
 
The Referee Store
Surely safety should have been the primary issue, i would rather everyone go away annoyed having come all that way for nothing, which is a lot better than going away with injuries or worse broken limbs...... Could have said to both managers if the pitch does deteriorate to the extent it is dangerous play will be abandoned........
 
I did tell them and it was in my mind throughout. Jumped on a few early slide challenges for the ball, games was played on their feet after that (for the most part anyway) which probably helped.

If even 1 person made a valid moan about the state of the pitch, I would have been calling it. But nobody moaned. Both teams have horrid pitches though, I think they are used to it.
 
With pitches being at such a premium in London, games are called off very quickly otherwise they are ruined for weeks.
Sounds like yours could be the same.
 
It is destroyed. Completely ruined. The home team groundsman (it's a private pitch), who is usually the guy in your ear before the game niggling about not playing damaging to the pitch games, knew it would be destroyed and still wanted the game to be played. They have such a backlog of games, they don't care.
 
I called mine of this morning (all games in the same location were also postponed).

So I thought I'd go down the local rec near my house and the second half of one match. And it was a farce, players falling all over the place, the ball getting stuck in the mud etc.

Looks like the pitch will be unplayable for the rest of the season.
 
How far was the field from your location? You seem to have a considerable degree of local knowledge and expressed surprise that the game was on. I might have sought a second opinion from another colleague or insisted that a second inspection (by you) being needed before calling it on.
 
So, Mr SM, please can you explain to the board, and the poor players wife, why you played the game on a pitch that was clearly unfit. From the statment you have submitted so far, and with our knowledge of your vast experience, did you not think that within a few miuted the pitch would have become unfit, thus should you have stared the game if you knew the chances of it finishing were bleak.

As it is, you started the game and the player in question, now with a double open fracture to the lower leg, is having surgery as we speak, and facing upto 5 months out of work..

We appreciate that teams had travelled distance, and that a colleague, of a lower level and much lesser experience, inspected the pitch, and it seems that you took their word over making your own decision. Noting that your collegaue, with whom we will be speaking to shortly, was not to be officiating over the appointment.

SM - well Mr Chairman, you see the thing is ..........

I've said before to teams that I'd rather tell 22 players now that it's off, rather than the league / CFA inquiry into broken legs / complaints etc. And personally, if teams are there and feeling agreived, I might have donated my match fee to a worth beer fund. If on the other hand the forecast has been bad, I;ve asked them a couple of times to check the pitch, and it;s still bad when I get there - match fee please, boot on, check pitch, get in car and go home.
 
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HRW said:
So, Mr SM, please can you explain to the board, and the poor players wife, why you played the game on a pitch that was clearly unfit. From the statment you have submitted so far, and with our knowledge of your vast experience, did you not think that within a few miuted the pitch would have become unfit, thus should you have stared the game if you knew the chances of it finishing were bleak.

As it is, you started the game and the player in question, now with a double open fracture to the lower leg, is having surgery as we speak, and facing upto 5 months out of work..

We appreciate that teams had travelled distance, and that a colleague, of a lower level and much lesser experience, inspected the pitch, and it seems that you took their word over making your own decision. Noting that your collegaue, with whom we will be speaking to shortly, was not to be officiating over the appointment.

SM - well Mr Chairman, you see the thing is ..........

I've said before to teams that I'd rather tell 22 players now that it's off, rather than the league / CFA inquiry into broken legs / complaints etc. And personally, if teams are there and feeling agreived, I might have donated my match fee to a worth beer fund. If on the other hand the forecast has been bad, I;ve asked them a couple of times to check the pitch, and it;s still bad when I get there - match fee please, boot on, check pitch, get in car and go home.
Click to expand...

You drive in your boots?
 
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The colleague is of the same level but longer time served. Nice guy. The pitch is a 40 minute drive from me.

Before I forget; You drive in football boots???? :confused:

Like I said, first real complaint about the pitch and I was off home. It never came. Like I also said, both teams have horrors of pitches when they get some rain on them and a huge back log,they are used to playing these pitches I guess.
 
My pitch yesterday looked in a poor state but when I entered the pitch, pre-kick off, although it was. somewhat spongy, it was hardly 'cut up' at all.
I allowed the game to be played (the first game I have officiated in 2016 due to a multitude of reasons) and the pitch seemed fine afterwards, really bizarre how it seemed to be in such good condition compared to ther pitches in the area! Maybe it was fate as was a fantastic game.
 
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