But due to an injury, Watford was 15 minutes behind Hull. It is a serious issue, but no way you can shield the players from it - If you don't put it up on the score board the fans will let the players know. I'd dock points when it is clearly the case of teams not trying- it would put a stop to it as some time in the near future a team is going to get cheated.
I was at an extraordinary game at Covenrty (v Bristol City) in May 1977 when the two sides spent the last 10 minutes doing what happened at Huddersfield because a result elsewhere meant that both Clubs were safe if the game remained 2-2. That situation was even more dramatic though because had either Club lost they'd have been relegated. The game was controversial not just because of the way it ended, but because Coventry delayed the kick-off by 15 minutes (the argument was that Bristol City fans were late arriving) and because they announced the result of the other key game that evening over the tannoy so that all the players knew the situation. But this type of situation is very unusual and has been made even more unlikely today by the insistence that all final games are played on the same day at the same time - that wasn't always the case, of course.
Yes, I was at this game too. I was studying at Bristol University at the time, so a large crowd of us caught one of the special trains put on by Bristol City to get people to the game. It was an amazing experience & a great day out. The last 10 minutes were just surreal, with both sets of supporters celebrating like mad while the players just played keep ball with one another.
They owe it to every other team to give 100% for every game. What would've been their response if Palace realised they didn't need to win due to other results going their way, so decided to let posh win, allowing them to stay up?
I believe we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the non-football at Huddersfield was only for a couple of minutes - and not for say, 10 minutes.
Peterborough's match had finished earlier and the players at Huddersfield clearly knew that game's result.
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
I believe we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the non-football at Huddersfield was only for a couple of minutes - and not for say, 10 minutes.
Peterborough's match had finished earlier and the players at Huddersfield clearly knew that game's result.
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
The difference is that there is no collusion when that happens.
It happens in Italy all the time. I've seen it live at a Cesena v Torino match a few years back. Great game- 2-2 then fans started leaving with 10 to go. Couldn't believe it! But both teams spent those 10 minutes passing in midfield. They had clearly decided a draw suited them both. Italian fans just accepted it - that is the danger.
It's part of their culture and goes beyond football, kind of a 'you scratch my back' idea. Italians love bending rules, whatever they're doing.
It has happened a fair bit and will happen again. I seem to remember a Parma-Napoli game a few years ago where this was arranged... Only for someone to score then basically get chased off the pitch.
I understand your point and I don't disagree to the fact that it is unpleasant. I hate it too! It is just that I can't compare the two - when teams go in the corner they are doing so to try to win a game - the point is that when teams strike a deal on the pitch, they are usually trying to draw a game and stitch up another side. The game loses its credibility when this happens IMO.
I believe we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the non-football at Huddersfield was only for a couple of minutes - and not for say, 10 minutes.
Peterborough's match had finished earlier and the players at Huddersfield clearly knew that game's result.
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
The difference is that there is no collusion when that happens.
Notwithstanding my comment above, I do agree that this would be a problem if it happened often and, perhaps more importantly, was seen as premeditated. However, what happened at the Galpharm is not only very unusual, it was also clearly entirely spontaneous. That doesn't make it "right", but it does provide context.
As I said above, in general Clubs in England are incredibly professional when it comes to defending the integrity of the game and we see examples of this time and again, including on Saturday. The big Clubs have sometimes let others down by playing weakened teams - Manchester Utd v Hull City a few years back springs to mind - but even that has been addressed now (at least to a degree) by the squad system.
Any team that needs to score in the last few minutes throws everybody forward. Any team that needs the score to remain as is sits back for the last few minutes. That's football, right?
Neither team needed to score to achieve their goal. That's it. Nothing more. They had every right to do what they felt needed to be done to secure their own future. If they had conspired, completely intentionally, to get another team relegated with no regard for their own outcome then this would be very different. But to castigate two teams for both being in a position to sit back? Ridiculous.
It reminds me of a very important game back in the Euros 2004 when Sweden and my country Denmark played each other in the final game of the group stage. We already knew before the game that 2-2 would secure playoff spots for both the teams, no matter what result Italy would get against Bulgaria in the other game. Our Scandinavian neighbours have always been big rivals, it dates back thorughout history - our football matches are always very intense. Both teams played for the victory, a very close game. Sweden would equalize in injury time to 2-2, which made the players relax for the last minute or so. Both Sweden and Denmark were ecstatic, because we had gained access to the playoffs, and we were also very happy for each other - Italy though, accused us for match fixing and rigging, which were complete nonsense.
It reminds me of a very important game back in the Euros 2004 when Sweden and my country Denmark played each other in the final game of the group stage. We already knew before the game that 2-2 would secure playoff spots for both the teams, no matter what result Italy would get against Bulgaria in the other game. Our Scandinavian neighbours have always been big rivals, it dates back thorughout history - our football matches are always very intense. Both teams played for the victory, a very close game. Sweden would equalize in injury time to 2-2, which made the players relax for the last minute or so. Both Sweden and Denmark were ecstatic, because we had gained access to the playoffs, and we were also very happy for each other - Italy though, accused us for match fixing and rigging, which were complete nonsense.
Where do you draw the line on this. Say Peterborough were 3 points behind Barnsley and Huddersfield and all had identical gd. Are any rules broken if Barnsley and Huddersfield just stand on the pitch for 2 periods of 45 minutes?
Could quite easily be classified as "misconduct". All the Ref has to decide is whether the teams are acting "in a manner which shows a lack of respect for the game". Surely that is precisely what they were doing? So, the Ref would have been within his rights to book anyone involved in the conduct. Maybe he could have booked everyone from both teams, all the management staff and abandoned the game. Then the players would have had to replay the match and missed all their holiday flights. That would have been justice!
Where do you draw the line on this. Say Peterborough were 3 points behind Barnsley and Huddersfield and all had identical gd. Are any rules broken if Barnsley and Huddersfield just stand on the pitch for 2 periods of 45 minutes?
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
You don't see much difference between one side running the clock down and both teams conspiring to fix a result? Oh dear.
To be perfectly honest, leaving aside the issue of Barnsley not actually being safe as the Palace game was still playing, if we were in the same situation I would be fuming with our manager if we didn't take the route that guaranteed our safety! If the result that we had at the time was enough for us to survive then damn right you take it and just play keepy-uppy for the last few minutes!
I think some people are over reacting here. From that video above it only seems like the last minute or so of stoppage time once they heard of the other results, hardly a crime is it.
If it was us, what would you advise we do? Go for a winner, get caught on the break and end up relegated. I don't think so.
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
You don't see much difference between one side running the clock down and both teams conspiring to fix a result? Oh dear.
Isn't the keeper simply 'running the clock down' by just dribbling about in the area?
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
You don't see much difference between one side running the clock down and both teams conspiring to fix a result? Oh dear.
Oh dear, you've taken my comments out of context.
My comments that you quoted, were in reply to a post mentioning "not in the spirit of the game".
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock. Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession. Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations. Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
You don't see much difference between one side running the clock down and both teams conspiring to fix a result? Oh dear.
Isn't the keeper simply 'running the clock down' by just dribbling about in the area?
No because he is only doing that because the other team are letting him. Normally if someone takes it into the corner he has a couple of players hacking at him to get it out of there.
I say they can do what they like, season is won/lost over 46 games, not the last 15 minutes or however long they stopped trying for.
Well it is, because if Peterborough had scored in the last kick of the season Barnsley would have gone down. So the season can be won or lost in the last second.
I say they can do what they like, season is won/lost over 46 games, not the last 15 minutes or however long they stopped trying for.
Well it is, because if Peterborough had scored in the last kick of the season Barnsley would have gone down. So the season can be won or lost in the last second.
You are aware that Barnsley's keeper only started dribbling the ball around and settling for a draw once they heard that Peterborough had lost.
Comments
Fair play? Definately not.
They owe it to every other team to give 100% for every game. What would've been their response if Palace realised they didn't need to win due to other results going their way, so decided to let posh win, allowing them to stay up?
Peterborough's match had finished earlier and the players at Huddersfield clearly knew that game's result.
Personally, I don't see it as much different to a team taking the ball down to the corner flag and running down the clock.
Or just belting the ball into Row Z as far down the pitch as possible, every time you get possession.
Or simply time wasting at dead ball situations.
Or even added time substitutions.
None of those are in the 'spirit of the game' either.
It has happened a fair bit and will happen again. I seem to remember a Parma-Napoli game a few years ago where this was arranged... Only for someone to score then basically get chased off the pitch.
I'm not condoning the situation, just reasoning that it's not really any different to one team doing it - except in this instance, both teams did it.
But then it was only for around 120 seconds - and the ball was constantly in play.
As I said above, in general Clubs in England are incredibly professional when it comes to defending the integrity of the game and we see examples of this time and again, including on Saturday. The big Clubs have sometimes let others down by playing weakened teams - Manchester Utd v Hull City a few years back springs to mind - but even that has been addressed now (at least to a degree) by the squad system.
Any team that needs to score in the last few minutes throws everybody forward. Any team that needs the score to remain as is sits back for the last few minutes. That's football, right?
Neither team needed to score to achieve their goal. That's it. Nothing more. They had every right to do what they felt needed to be done to secure their own future. If they had conspired, completely intentionally, to get another team relegated with no regard for their own outcome then this would be very different. But to castigate two teams for both being in a position to sit back? Ridiculous.
Say Peterborough were 3 points behind Barnsley and Huddersfield and all had identical gd. Are any rules broken if Barnsley and Huddersfield just stand on the pitch for 2 periods of 45 minutes?
So, the Ref would have been within his rights to book anyone involved in the conduct. Maybe he could have booked everyone from both teams, all the management staff and abandoned the game. Then the players would have had to replay the match and missed all their holiday flights. That would have been justice!
If it was us, what would you advise we do? Go for a winner, get caught on the break and end up relegated. I don't think so.
Isn't the keeper simply 'running the clock down' by just dribbling about in the area?
My comments that you quoted, were in reply to a post mentioning "not in the spirit of the game".
You are aware that Barnsley's keeper only started dribbling the ball around and settling for a draw once they heard that Peterborough had lost.