Oh gawd, it gets worse. Not just quoting Macanthony, fans are now pasting Know-it-all Neville's tweets on the matter, which is something but a glaringly obvious statement.
What you do if you are a proper club is get a local ref to have a look in the morning if the match ref isn't there. They actually announced all was fine. They should at least be made to refund the costs of our fans and indeed their ones too.
There was nothing unpredictable about the weather. In fact the sun has been glaring and bright since this morning.
There are three stakeholders in the decision to decide whether a EFL game is off or on - one isnt "a local referee"!!
First, the senior stadium official for health and safety. He/she to decide whether conditions inside and immediately outside are safe (no snow/ice, as an example).
Secondly, the Police Office in charge of the game for the day; responsible for internal customer control and responsible for external approaches to the game being safe (usually snow/ice impact upon travelling).
The match referee, being responsible for the safety of players on the physical pitch.
Having said all that, I am surprised that a pitch inspection wasn't made earlier in the morning. I would not know whether the club failed to advise the match referee earlier that there could be some doubt about the match proceeding or whether the match referee should take some responsibility for a late pitch inspection.
I have seen clubs get an alternative referee on a number of occasions in these circumstances where the match official may not be available. It potentially saves all parties time, money and effort.
Obviously a big disappointment for Holden and players who would've been there and raring to play. They turned up after receiving confirmation from Peterborough on Friday and this morning - pitch was fine and no need for inspection. Then Holden & Ferguson are called in to join the match referee around 1.30pm to inspect an area of pitch under the shadow of stand which is like "hard concrete". Unplayable! No doubt it was unplayable Friday. Peterborough are now having an inquiry into why ground staff sent out misleading information. Players and Charlton staff will not lose a penny in costs to them. IT'S THE FANS WHO SUFFER. Holden to his credit has mentioned this - which shows he recognises the importance of the cost and sacrifices the fans make to support the club. Presumably EFL will brush every complaint under their expansive carpet.
Don't know if I am more pissed off that I spent £40+ on travel to nowhere and as I didn't have a ticket, even in the remote chance free travel was given for the rearranged fixture it is unlikely I will qualify for it, or that in my pre season accy I had 12 different things at £20. Currently 11 are in place and looking good and one is Peterborough top 6. Going to cost me £16,800!
Charlton fans need to make a point. Boycotting the game when it is played would teach Peterborough a lesson.
The only problem with that is we have already paid for our tickets which will be valid on whichever Tuesday night that McAnthony believes we wont show. Given that we were taking 1500 we probably were taking more than their home gate. Having not had an earlier inspection and calling it off so late, Peterborough should be penalised by losing home advantage with the rearranged match being played at the Valley
Some punishment like this needs to be made.
I think that matches should be called off the day before if there is any doubt, or if the away club agree then a later time like 10am on the day of the match. If it isn't and it fails the pitch inspection then it's an away win.
There would certainly be more matches called off but it would be better all round.
Charlton fans need to make a point. Boycotting the game when it is played would teach Peterborough a lesson.
The only problem with that is we have already paid for our tickets which will be valid on whichever Tuesday night that McAnthony believes we wont show. Given that we were taking 1500 we probably were taking more than their home gate. Having not had an earlier inspection and calling it off so late, Peterborough should be penalised by losing home advantage with the rearranged match being played at the Valley
Some punishment like this needs to be made.
I think that matches should be called off the day before if there is any doubt, or if the away club agree then a later time like 10am on the day of the match. If it isn't and it fails the pitch inspection then it's an away win.
There would certainly be more matches called off but it would be better all round.
10am. I will be halfway down to Exeter if they decided to call the game off on the 4th of Feb. How does that help me?
Obviously a big disappointment for Holden and players who would've been there and raring to play. They turned up after receiving confirmation from Peterborough on Friday and this morning - pitch was fine and no need for inspection. Then Holden & Ferguson are called in to join the match referee around 1.30pm to inspect an area of pitch under the shadow of stand which is like "hard concrete". Unplayable! No doubt it was unplayable Friday. Peterborough are now having an inquiry into why ground staff sent out misleading information. Players and Charlton staff will not lose a penny in costs to them. IT'S THE FANS WHO SUFFER. Holden to his credit has mentioned this - which shows he recognises the importance of the cost and sacrifices the fans make to support the club. Presumably EFL will brush every complaint under their expansive carpet.
So when do we want the game's called off if we are the away supporter? 12pm me and my mates are already in town at an away game. My journey for Exeter will begin at 7am. Today though was a total cock up. If I choose to get to Peterborough at 11 am that's my choice, but on the journey up there me and my mates were saying with the fog and frost , surely they will be calling a pitch inspection. I'd like to know what time Charlton officials got in touch with Peterborough to make sure there wasn't any problems. As I say I was getting to Peterborough for 11am so that's my problem. But going back to the station there was still fans coming out the station at 2.20pm they might of been spared the journey if pitch inspection at 12pm.
Charlton fans need to make a point. Boycotting the game when it is played would teach Peterborough a lesson.
The only problem with that is we have already paid for our tickets which will be valid on whichever Tuesday night that McAnthony believes we wont show. Given that we were taking 1500 we probably were taking more than their home gate. Having not had an earlier inspection and calling it off so late, Peterborough should be penalised by losing home advantage with the rearranged match being played at the Valley
Some punishment like this needs to be made.
I think that matches should be called off the day before if there is any doubt, or if the away club agree then a later time like 10am on the day of the match. If it isn't and it fails the pitch inspection then it's an away win.
There would certainly be more matches called off but it would be better all round.
10am. I will be halfway down to Exeter if they decided to call the game off on the 4th of Feb. How does that help me?
Thought I would be more p*sped off, but I am a mahoosive action figure collector and a) found 2 figures I have needed within my DC figure collection at around half the cost they would be within a shop arcade and then b) found another store selling a collection of Umbrella Academy figures which had passed me by completely. A more expensive day out than planned, but a tonic of sorts!
Folk are angry & they’re lashing out verbally. It’s the virtual equivalent of going home and kicking the cat.
Do we really have to make them feel worse by pointing out they’re blaming the wrong people? Not really going to make them feel better is it, when they’re out of pocket with feck all to show for it.
So the Charlton comms team should cop the blame when they’ve done fuck all wrong. Sounds fair…..
If you’re gonna publicly vent on a social media platform, at least direct it in the right way.
No one knew that at the time though. The fact is we were all in Peterborough and the only person letting us know what was happening was Louis.
Any one still giving them grief is clearly a wally, but the radio silence until the actual postponement was annoying.
Going from Louis original tweets, and subsequently Holden’s comments, it sounds like there was literally a 20 - 40 minute window when all of the sudden the ref turned up and saw the pitch and decided to call it off.
This was not a pre planned inspection because Peterborough said one was not needed.
It took me 10 seconds to google ‘Peterborough FC’ to find the news article saying that it wouldn’t be an issue and the game would go ahead, and a further 10 seconds to look at Louis tweets and have an educated guess that everything happened very quickly.
I can’t believe people are using the guise of ‘fans are angry’, or ‘they didn’t know’ as an excuse to justify verbal abuse towards individuals who had nothing to do with the shit show today.
I worked in a front of house role for a period of time and no wonder it was a miserable experience.
I thought the ref had initially said it needed an inspection at midday?
Not saying the verbal abuse is OK, it isn't. I just don't feel communication was handled well.
The ref was indeed there at 12:00 for a pitch inspection, however apparently according to Holden when we rang the club secretary at around that time, they said there was not one happening.
Holden only spoke to the ref at around 13:20 when he got to ground, and that is when he found out that he had actually planned an earlier inspection.
So either the ref didn’t tell Peterborough he was going to do this, or Peterborough lied.
Either way, I really fail to see what really the comms team could have done in that situation.
What do you think would have been a good example of communication from our comms team here?
Holden says in his interview the club was aware of a pitch inspection at 12:50. Doesn't make much difference to fans already there, but there was a fair few on the 13:00 from King's X who may have held back and therefore been able to refund the train tickets.
Doesn't matter now as what's done is done, but as a bare minimum I would expect the club to announce a pitch inspection was happening as soon as they're made aware. Not simply tweet 'game off' after the fact.
What you do if you are a proper club is get a local ref to have a look in the morning if the match ref isn't there. They actually announced all was fine. They should at least be made to refund the costs of our fans and indeed their ones too.
There was nothing unpredictable about the weather. In fact the sun has been glaring and bright since this morning.
There are three stakeholders in the decision to decide whether a EFL game is off or on - one isnt "a local referee"!!
First, the senior stadium official for health and safety. He/she to decide whether conditions inside and immediately outside are safe (no snow/ice, as an example).
Secondly, the Police Office in charge of the game for the day; responsible for internal customer control and responsible for external approaches to the game being safe (usually snow/ice impact upon travelling).
The match referee, being responsible for the safety of players on the physical pitch.
Having said all that, I am surprised that a pitch inspection wasn't made earlier in the morning. I would not know whether the club failed to advise the match referee earlier that there could be some doubt about the match proceeding or whether the match referee should take some responsibility for a late pitch inspection.
I have seen clubs get an alternative referee on a number of occasions in these circumstances where the match official may not be available. It potentially saves all parties time, money and effort.
No "local refs" used at this level. Happy to be told I am wrong, but I believe local refs can only be used to judge pitches at step 5 and lower levels.
Turned into a gibbering twat today after spotting this CAFC legend at Peckham Town, and sheepishly asking for a selfie – like you do. This game did pass the pitch inspection though (!) but, alas, the Menace lost 1-2 to Forest Hill Park in the cup QF.
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Yhere should be some form of compensation package for fans.
Barnsley at home a few years back, called off 10 minutes after I'd just bought a round of drinks coming to £40
I think that matches should be called off the day before if there is any doubt, or if the away club agree then a later time like 10am on the day of the match. If it isn't and it fails the pitch inspection then it's an away win.
There would certainly be more matches called off but it would be better all round.
I will be halfway down to Exeter if they decided to call the game off on the 4th of Feb.
How does that help me?
12pm me and my mates are already in town at an away game.
My journey for Exeter will begin at 7am.
Today though was a total cock up.
If I choose to get to Peterborough at 11 am that's my choice, but on the journey up there me and my mates were saying with the fog and frost , surely they will be calling a pitch inspection.
I'd like to know what time Charlton officials got in touch with Peterborough to make sure there wasn't any problems.
As I say I was getting to Peterborough for 11am so that's my problem.
But going back to the station there was still fans coming out the station at 2.20pm they might of been spared the journey if pitch inspection at 12pm.
Luckily for them as they had a number of injuries.
Doesn't matter now as what's done is done, but as a bare minimum I would expect the club to announce a pitch inspection was happening as soon as they're made aware. Not simply tweet 'game off' after the fact.
Turned into a gibbering twat today after spotting this CAFC legend at Peckham Town, and sheepishly asking for a selfie – like you do. This game did pass the pitch inspection though (!) but, alas, the Menace lost 1-2 to Forest Hill Park in the cup QF.