Archived News from February 2010
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RUSHDEN GAME OFF, TO STAGS FURY +YORK GAME OFF
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Rushden game re-arranged for Tues 13 April, 7.45 at Field Mill
No game at Field Mill this week, as Rushden reject proposal to play on Wednesday, and no option to play York either ---> http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~1974022,00.html --------------------- Perry tells BBc Radio Nottingham he is furious over the postponement of the Rushden game ---> http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/8526118.stm ----------------- Stags make official complaint over postponment Perry fury at premature decision CHAD.co.uk, 20 February 2010, By John Lomas MANSFIELD Town have made an official complaint to the FA and the BSP today over what the club believes was the premature postponement of their crucial home BSP clash with Rushden and Diamonds today. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Stags-make-official-complaint-over.6090795.jp Furious chairman Andy Perry described the decision by referee Mark Brown to postpone the game for a frozen pitch at 11.50am as a farce. And, with Tuesday's home clash with York City also called off today due to the Minstermen needing to play an FA Trophy game that night, Perry admitted it had left the club with their 'backs against the wall' financially. The pitch inspection was due to be at 12.20pm today and there was a heavy overnight frost, but the official and assessor turned up early and, despite the BSP rules allowing until 3.45pm to try to get a game on, they quickly ruled it out and left. "I am standing on the pitch in the Mansfield version of the Maldives right now and I am bloody livid," said Perry at 1pm today. "The pitch is squelching underneath my feet and the sunshine is bright and hot. The last bits that were really hard this morning are softening up and the groundsman has agreed that with a bit of spiking, some salt and some sand, it would be fine. "The office staff are all out here with me right now and can't believe it either. "I have no answer for why he arrived earlier than planned and called it off there and then. He's only come from Hull, not the other end of the world. "These people just don't realise the effect they have on the game at times. If we are not careful the Police and referees will be telling us when we can and can't play football matches. "Look at what happened last week with the Police refusing to do the Chester v Wrexham game which meant it had to be called off." He added: "How did we manage to clear all that snow away off the pitch before we played York last season and, despite the pitch being a bit hard underneath, that referee said he would have been very happy to wait until 3.45pm if needed to give the game a chance to be played. "The referee and the assessor were in agreement today so we had no choice but to agree. You have to be careful and can't overstep the mark with referees but I would like an explanation why they couldn't give it longer than this. "The forecast was sunshine with a few clouds and it is glorious here at the moment." With so many home games called off for the Stags since Christmas, it still leaves the owners with a wage bill to pay and Perry added: "It doesn't take a mathematician to work out our backs are against the wall here. "All the hard work behind the scenes and a day when there is no real issue about playing a game of football and then a farce like this is allowed to happen." Manager David Holdsworth added: "We are very disappointed. At the time the referee looked at the pitch it was still frosty but the sun seems to have come out, it has defrosted fairly rapidly and, with hindsight, we feel it may have been more favourable to wait a while before the decision was made." York also had their FA Trophy clash with Barrow postponed today due to the frost and, with the Trophy taking precedence, that game has now been moved to Tuesday when the Minstermen were due at Field Mill. Stags have asked Rushden if they would like to move today's game to then but Diamonds felt it was too soon and declined. So Stags' only hope of getting a game this week is if York's Kitkat Crescent pitch remains frozen for Tuesday and they can be persuaded to go back to the original arrangement of playing Stags down here or Tuesday or Wednesday night. ------------ Stags Could Play York On Wednesday Saturday 20th February, 2010 Mansfield Town have revealed that they could play York City on Wednesday night. http://www.mansfield103.co.uk/sport.php?n=969 Chairman Andy Perry announced on Mansfield 103.2's Saturday Afternoons show that they were looking at that option should York's FA Trophy game with Barrow be called off on Tuesday. The two sides were originally due to meet at Field Mill on Tuesday evening but the FA Trophy match will now take preference. Mr Perry says the move to play it on Wednesday is an attempt to stop a horrendous fixture schedule building towards the end of the season. The club will know on Monday whether the option is officially open to them. Meanwhile, Mr Perry has also said that today's match with Rushden & Diamonds should have gone ahead. He said the decision to call the match off at around 12pm due to a frozen pitch was premature and the club will be discussing the matter with the League. ---------------------- Mansfield Town matches postponed Saturday, February 20, 2010, 12:35Comment on this story Mansfield Town's home match against Rushden and Diamonds today was postponed. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Eastwood-match-postponed/article-1852018-detail/article.html Match referee Mark Brown made the decision at 12 noon on safety grounds. "I have been here since 10.30 this morning and conditions have not improved sufficiently for the game to go ahead," he said. "The goal-mouth is rock solid, like concrete, as are areas of the centre circle and down by the side nearest the West Stand." It is the second cancellation of a Stags' fixture in the space of three hours, after Tuesday night's game at home to York was postponed. York were due to play Barrow in the FA Trophy today, but as the match has been cancelled, they will now play the Cumbrians on Tuesday instead. ------------------ York game on Tuesday postponed as FA Trophy Barrow v York off today. ----------------- |
Latest | February 2010