Fans have taken to fume on social media as the referee abandons a certain League Two fixture just NINE minutes into the game.
Harrogate Town played hosts to Carlisle United on Tuesday night, however not even a whole half of football was played out.
Two other games in the division had already been postponed tonight, one due to a a team contracting Covid-19 and another because of the snowfall.
Looks like the referee has just abandoned the game #cufc
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) December 29, 2020
The Sulphurites took the lead in the first minute of the game, thanks to Connor Kirby heading home from the back post following Ryan Fallowfield’s cross.
A few corners were taken, but couldn’t provide anymore goals, before the referee then spoke with the officials.
He then took to the side of the pitch to have a word with both team’s managers, and then the decision came to stop the game with nine minutes on the clock.
Before the game, you could see officials inspecting to see whether the pitch in the right condition for the players to train and play on.
🥶 Warm ups definitely needed tonight ❄️ #cufc pic.twitter.com/qcqE9MEJ3N
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) December 29, 2020
Some home supporters booed as the decision to abandon the game was made, which was confirmed via public address announcements.
Fans were then asked to file out of the ground in stages after the players had left the pitch.
Earlier in the day Harrogate had called for volunteers to help shovel snow from the pitch.
You can see just from the pre-match warm-up how hard the ground looked, and that’s just what some of the fans said online.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAID:
🎥 | The Gaffer’s reaction after tonight’s game with @officialcufc was abandoned… #ProudToBeTown pic.twitter.com/xYYD96mBAj
— Harrogate Town AFC (@HarrogateTown) December 29, 2020
👀💬🎥 Watch manager Chris Beech talk about the @HarrogateTown abandonment on our YouTube channel here 👇 https://t.co/4znjaUV5gM
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) December 29, 2020
LINEUPS:
Harrogate: Belshaw, Fallowfield, Burrell, Thomson, Martin, Lawlor, Kiernan, Kirby, Muldoon, Hall, Francis. Subs: Minter, Falkingham, Stead, Kerry, Miller, Lokko.
United: Farman, Hayden, Armer, McDonald, Bennett, Guy, Riley, Furman, Patrick, Alessandra, Kayode. Subs: Norman, Charters, Dixon, Bell, Malley, Obiero, Fishburn.
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Fans decided to fume as the referee abandons the League Two fixture just NINE minutes into the game…
@thefattestTony: If it was 4g it would have been playable…
@AFootballWriter: Conditions can’t have deteriorated that much in ten mins. Why bother even starting?
@NyeBrowny: So the officials are admitting they started the game in an unplayable state?
@coyle_mj: Awful decision by the ref. First time I’ve seen a match abandoned when playing conditions were improving
@parkinsonross: How do you not know that pre kick off. Shocking from the ref
@JRBulman: Genuinely bad luck guys. You looked right up for it and scored a good goal. Pitch looked unplayable before it started but awful decision to start then abandon.
@LDTrekkers: Hope the FA take serious action with the match officials as that is an absolute shambles how can a pitch become unplayable after 10 mins of the game
@lewisrids3: Can’t believe that game ever started, you could even tell that surface was rock hard on iFollow.
@DavidSutch100: With so many players out and conceding a goal in the fust minute, I consider that a lucky escape. Thawt the pitch looked rock hard in the warm-up video. Imagine if there had been away fans allowed.
@james10hodgson: Bit embarrassing from the referee that. Game should never of started wasnt like it was going to warm up
@afcgxs: Just get the kettle on pour it on the pitch
@TheRobHarvey_: You can have Trevor Kettle if you want. He’s reffing us tonight ffs
@Alex_Jordan85: What a farce,it should’ve been called off far earlier than this!Ref should never have passed the pitch inspection
@adam_cufc7: Fucking discrace
@Luke_Graham_: Awful from the ref, how it wasn’t called off on the inspection or during the warm up is shocking
@1StevieKilner: To be fair, given our injuries and we were 1-0 down, this is great for us!! Thanks ref! But it’s really poor from the officials. In what way did the conditions change in the last hour? Answer: not one bit. They should have called it off early or not at all. Truly bizarre.
@MrJNStringer: So what’s the point of a pitch inspection in the first place? That’s ridiculous!
@Cromwe11: Radio York claiming the players bodies would have warmed the pitch up. Get out there and make some snow angels lads
@phleaslittle: Certainly wasnt going to get any warmer was it, ref has been very naive here, shocking
@northumbrian_: Brilliant….. paid a tenner to watch 8 minutes
EFL MATCHES POSTPONED (29 DEC):
Championship:
Millwall vs Watford
League One:
AFC Wimbledon vs Ipswich Town
Accrington Stanley vs Sunderland
Bristol Rovers vs Portsmouth
Fleetwood Town vs Doncaster Rovers
Hull City vs Lincoln City
Peterborough United vs Charlton Athletic
Rochdale vs Crewe Alexandra
League Two:
Bolton Wanderers vs Morecambe
Mansfield Town vs Salford City
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
The Stags wrote via their website: Mansfield Town’s Sky Bet League Two encounter at home to Salford City has been postponed due to heavy snowfall in Mansfield.
The playing surface was deemed unplayable following a pitch inspection at 11am this morning.
Head groundsman Michael Merriman said: “The pitch is currently covered in an inch of snow and unfortunately, due to the current circumstances we find ourselves in, we are unable to invite supporters/volunteers into the ground to help clear it in time for this evening’s scheduled kick-off.
“Because of the effects of the pandemic in the close season, we weren’t able this year to prepare the pitch to its full capacity. There is therefore a drainage issue, which is causing a problem with water getting through the surface and into the drain, as will have been noticeable in our last home game against Southend United.”
A new date for the fixture will be announced in due course.
Following the additional postponements, the total number of EFL games affected by Covid-19 related issues is 43 suspended matches. There has also been one Carabao Cup match called off.
The EFL maintains there is still room in the fixture calendar to accommodate the postponed fixtures at this point.
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
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