Bury OFF

[stefano]

Sunny here and no rain this morning

Might holiday at Westward Ho! this year then!

[AustrianAndyGull]

I am confused about the bit that says, 'concern about certain areas of the pitch' though. Surely if there are concerns about these areas at 9am then the areas won't suddenly improve in the next hour and a half or indeed as the afternoon progresses. It's the refs call and as we know, some are competent and some aren't, some have common sense and some don't. It's a lottery. We have to trust him to make the correct decision.

[yeovilgull]

I can see your point about the Bury fans to a degree but any that have booked a coach trip down will not have such an easy option. Do they travel and risk being turned back and wasting their time or do they take the decision that its likely to be called off and not travel and risk losing money already paid if the game goes ahead?

Options being kept open here. Just hope they make the decision and post it quickly after the 12.00 inspection so myself and others can decide what to do.

[DevonYellow]

Massive black clouds over St Marychurch & Plainmoor. The BBC prediction of heavy showers is right too at the moment.

[brucie]

Its really more or less what we knew already. The issue is still with our pitch more than the weather.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I can see your point about the Bury fans to a degree but any that have booked a coach trip down will not have such an easy option. Do they travel and risk being turned back and wasting their time or do they take the decision that its likely to be called off and not travel and risk losing money already paid if the game goes ahead?

Options being kept open here. Just hope they make the decision and post it quickly after the 12.00 inspection so myself and others can decide what to do.

It's the same premise Yeovilgull. If I'd booked a seat on the supporters coach say midweek then I'd either cancel and try and get a refund or just not bother going in which case yes, I'd lose my coach money but thems the breaks. 8-]

I have a great deal of sympathy for the Bury fans and respect each and every one for making the effort to come down but I feel that it will turn out to be a wasted journey in the end.

[westbaygull]

Just had a massive hailstorm here, but it only lasted a couple of minutes before being blown towards Portland (along with my tv aerial ) Hopefully any showers will be equally brief.

[nickfrench82]

Couple of short, sharp showers in Brixham this morning. Like most, I think it's certain to be off, as the sky has been getting darker and darker all morning. It's just a matter of time now before the heavens open, and when they do, any pitch inspection is going to be pretty pointless.

[bengull]

The club is in a no win situation really. I do feel sorry for those with a long journey to get to Plainmoor, the unease of not knowing and the likelihood of getting half way and finding the plug has been pulled must be awful. However, the fact that the pitch has not been written off after the original inspection suggests that there is a chance the match could be on. Given the financial implications at present we have to give it every chance. If we're inconveniencing a couple of hundred of our own fans then that, sadly, rightly or wrongly, is collateral damage compared to what we would lose by postponing the match to a Tuesday night.

Communication to the paying customer has to be of paramount importance, I agree, but at what point, given this ridiculous weather, do the decisions that the referee makes concerning the condition of the pitch (currently playable) become right or wrong?

If they called it off now and it was sunny all day; people would complain.
If they give it a chance and then call it off later; people will complain.
If it marginally passes an inspection, gets destroyed during the match and we don't get the result we wanted; people will complain.

For me, its easier not to complain and just trust that the referee and club are doing all they can to make the right decision given the criteria that they have to follow.

Rock and a hard place.

[AustrianAndyGull]

The club is in a no win situation really. I do feel sorry for those with a long journey to get to Plainmoor, the unease of not knowing and the likelihood of getting half way and finding the plug has been pulled must be awful. However, the fact that the pitch has not been written off after the original inspection suggests that there is a chance the match could be on. Given the financial implications at present we have to give it every chance. If we're inconveniencing a couple of hundred of our own fans then that, sadly, rightly or wrongly, is collateral damage compared to what we would lose by postponing the match to a Tuesday night.

Communication to the paying customer has to be of paramount importance, I agree, but at what point, given this ridiculous weather, do the decisions that the referee makes concerning the condition of the pitch (currently playable) become right or wrong?

If they called it off now and it was sunny all day; people would complain.
If they give it a chance and then call it off later; people will complain.
If it marginally passes an inspection, gets destroyed during the match and we don't get the result we wanted; people will complain.

For me, its easier not to complain and just trust that the referee and club are doing all they can to make the right decision given the criteria that they have to follow.

Rock and a hard place.

I'll remember this when you rock up to Hartlepool or Carlisle on a Tuesday night only to find the match is off and start moaning your head off! :na:

(of course I know you won't do that o:) )

[wodger of awabia]

SECOND INSPECTION AT MIDDAY
REFEREE Dave Phillips has conducted a thorough pitch inspection at Plainmoor this morning ahead of the big match against Bury.
Given the changeable forecast and concern over certain areas of the pitch, a second inspection will be conducted at midday.
We are all monitoring the situation and any change will be published on this website as soon as possible. We apologise for the uncertainty but both clubs agree that the referee has made the right decision to give this game every chance of going ahead.

Wrong! People are visiting Plainmoor to be entertained watching sport. The league should insist that postponement decisions are made at least 36 hours before the scheduled start time, based on current state of the pitch & local weather forecasts.Of course decisions made early are liable to be wrong in some cases, but they will be made in good faith with the safety of the players, & comfort, & consideration of the spectators being primary. Would you travel half the length of the country to go an open air event, ( say pop concert ) for it to be called off 3 hours before the start ? ........I don't think so!

[Pea]

Its really more or less what we knew already. The issue is still with our pitch more than the weather.

We've had over double and a half our annual monthly rain in just over a month..... could you run by me HOW that's the pitches fault and not the weather? :/ I suppose it was the train tracks fault in Dawlish too, and not the unprecedented waves battering it.....

[Mattpuma]

I am right next to the ground and looking out of my window it is blue sky at the moment and very windy. I reckon it will be short sharp showers all day. It has been so far. If there is any chance of playing this game we have to take it. We need points on the board and momentum.

[gullintwoplaces]

Why is the information on twitter and not on the club website - what does it actually say.
My friend is a season ticket holder at both Torquay and Plymouth. When I don't go he travels by public transport.
I have just rang him with the news - he is so pissed off that he is going to the Exeter v Portsmouth game instead!

I don't see a massive difference between what is stated on the Gulls website and what is stated on the Grecian website, although admittedly theirs is more optimistic:

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/artic ... 46899.aspx

http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/arti ... 43285.aspx

Both clubs are doing their best to get their games on. Some people just use every opportunity to have a pop at our club, very sad really.

[bengull]

In my opinion If the referee deems the match playable at 9am, then all the ensuing problems and ramifications should become his responsibility, not of the club. All we can do is continue to work on the pitch up until kick-off, as is our duty, but its the referee who makes the calls. Our ground-staff have worked tirelessly to get the pitch into a condition where, as of 9am, it would be ok for a match of football to take place at 3pm. The situation may change, that is out of the club's hands. Everyone thought the pitch would be underwater- calls of its demise started as early as last Saturday, the fact that there is a slight chance the match might be on should be cause of congratulating the club, not admonishing it.

The referee is the one with the final decision, I don't envy him at all. The pitch is playable at 9am, what would you do?