Archived News from January 2022
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MATCH ABANDONED AT FOREST GREEN DUE TO FOG
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Forest Green Rovers a - a Mansfield Town Match abandoned after 4 minutes due to fog Attendance: tbc (tbc from Mansfield) Date: 18 January 2022 MATCH ABANDONED AFTER 4 MINUTES AT FOREST GREEN DUE TO FOG Martin Shaw at The New Lawn Mansfield Town’s game at Forest Green Rovers this evening was abandoned after 4 minutes due to fog at the New Lawn. It’s Mansfield’s first abandonment due to fog since 25 January 1997, away to Torquay, abandoned after 37 mins (thanks to Paul Taylor for that info). Almost exactly 25 years ago. It was Mansfield’s first abandonment for any reason since the game was abandoned at this very ground due to a waterlogged pitch here on 15 December 2018. When I arrived at the ground two hours before kick off there was no fog at all. But in the half hour before kick off, the fog became thicker and thicker. The referee delayed kick off from 7.45 until 8.00, by which time it had eased sufficiently that you could just see from one side of the pitch to the other. So the game kicked off at 8.00. But in the opening minutes of the game, it became thicker again and you could not see the far side of the pitch. The referee stopped play after 4 minutes. He tried to give it ten more minutes, and then another ten minutes, before abandoning the game. It was the only decision he could take, having discussed with both captains and both managers. You simply couldn’t see from one side of the pitch to the other, so the linesmen couldn’t possibly adjudicate on offsides for example. Very disappointing for both clubs, but especially for the Stags fans and players and management having made the trip down. Incidentally, when leaving the ground, when you got down from the hill into Nailsworth, there was no fog there! There was a shot in the 4 minutes of play, when Nathan Bishop caught a long range effort. From my position in the press box I couldn’t see who fired it in, but I was informed from viewers watching the live stream on iFollow where the camera was on the opposite side of the ground, that it was from Jamille Matt. Such a shame as the game was eagerly anticipated. The Stags had won 6 games in a row, and were looking to equal the club record wins in a row in the Football League of 7, set in 1991 and 1962 (though we won 12 in a row in the Conference in 2013). Leaders Forest Green were on a club record of 13 games in the Football League without defeat. The Stags had made one change from the side that beat Walsall. Ollie Clarke was out with a hamstring injury that forced him off at half time on Saturday. In came Ryan Stirk who missed Saturday’s game isolating with Covid. The Stags started with three at the back, Rawson, Hawkins, and O’Toole, with Hewitt and McLaughlin at wing back. Charsley was very unlucky not to start, after his match-winning two goals on Saturday. Lapslie returned from injury on the bench. No Sinclair on the bench, reason unknown. O’Toole was playing his first game since signing a 2.5 year contract until summer 2024. A great signing, when he had a very good offer to go to a League One club, and thanks go to John & Carolyn and David Sharpe for making it happen. The stats on O’Toole speak for themselves in how important a signing this was: John-Joe O’Toole at MTFC this season: with him not in the side: Played 16 Points 17 with him starting: Played 8 Points 21 (plus 2 wins out of 3 in FA Cup) ---------------------------- “It was a little bit farcical” - Forest Green Rovers boss Rob Edwards on Mansfield Town abandonment Forest Green Rovers 0 Mansfield Town 0 (match abandoned after four minutes) gloucestershirelive.co.uk, By Laurie Martin Forest Green Rovers head coach Rob Edwards said that their abandoned game against Mansfield Town would have become a “laughing stock” had it continued. The game was abandoned after just four minutes due to fog, which only really started causing problems around 20-minutes before kick-off. Kick-off was initially delayed until 20:00 to give the fog a chance to clear, but after four minutes of action, the game was stopped. Referee Carl Brook delayed the game again before making the decision to abandon it at 20:25. It’s the second time Rovers have had a Football League clash with Mansfield abandoned, with their match in December 2018 stopped at half-time due to a waterlogged pitch. “We’re disappointed because I thought we started the game really well!” joked Edwards. “No, we couldn’t see the far side and we don’t want a game like that. It wasn’t safe. The linesman can’t see the far side of the pitch, so you don’t want to be done by a goal that’s four yards offside.” https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/it-little-bit-farcical--6514534 Edwards was visibly delighted when the referee announced that the game would be going ahead, applauding, and punching the air, but when the match did start, he was laughing on the touchline with Mansfield boss Nigel Clough whenever the ball was on the other side of the pitch. A number of scouts left with the game only a couple of minutes old - with the thick fog ultimately meaning that they couldn’t do their jobs. Edwards said: “We all wanted to play and they (Mansfield) wanted to play as well because they’re in really good form. “I’m no expert in this, but we wanted to give it every chance and I have seen fog lift before, but it wasn’t to be this time. “It was a little bit farcical when it was over the far side. I literally couldn’t see what was happening and I could just see this little yellow ball pinging around. It wasn’t safe and it would have become a bit of a laughing stock.” Forest Green host Carlisle United on Saturday, January 22. Forest Green Rovers: McGee; Godwin-Malife, Moore-Taylor, Cargill; Wilson, Stevenson, Hendry, Cadden; Young; Stevens, Matt. Subs not used: Thomas, Bernard, Sweeney, Aitchison, Edwards, Diallo, March. Mansfield Town: Bishop; Hewitt, Rawson, Hawkins, McLaughlin; Stirk, O’Toole, Quinn; Maris; Bowery, Oates. Subs not used: Stech, Nartey, Charsley, Johnson, Law, Gale, Lapslie. Referee: Carl Brook. ----------------------- Fog forces early abandonment of Mansfield Town’s big game at leaders Forest Green Rovers chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Tuesday 18th January 2022 Mansfield Town's massive League Two promotion showdown at leaders Forest Green Rovers had to be abandoned tonight due to heavy fog at the The Fully Charged New Lawn Stadium. It leaves frustrated Stags with another long midweek haul to fit into their already heavy schedule. As the fog poured over the stadium referee Carl Brook decided to delay kick-off by 15 minutes. After much debate it was decided to give it a go with signs that the fog was starting to lift. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/fog-forces-early-abandonment-of-mansfield-towns-big-game-at-leaders-forest-green-rovers-3532725 Both sides wait on the pitch while the referee sees what happens with the fog. Photo by Chris Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media Both sides wait on the pitch while the referee sees what happens with the fog. Photo by Chris Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media Few fans could see much of the three minutes of action that there was, Jamille Matt intelligently testing Nathan Bishop from distance but the Stags keeper well placed. However, the fog started to worsen and the referee called a halt to proceedings and spoke to both managers. It was decided to wait for 10 minutes to see if visibility would improve again, but by now some fans were already making their way out. At the end of that period, another discussion saw the sides agree to wait another 10 minutes, but it was no surprise when at the end of that and no improvement, the referee and managers Rob Edwards and Nigel Clough agreed to abandon the game. The clubs will now look for a third date for the fixture after the original date before Christmas saw Forest Green unable to field a team due to a Covid outbreak. ---------------------------------- “It was a little bit farcical” - Forest Green Rovers boss Rob Edwards on Mansfield Town abandonment Forest Green Rovers 0 Mansfield Town 0 (match abandoned after four minutes) gloucestershirelive.co.uk, By Laurie Martin Forest Green Rovers head coach Rob Edwards said that their abandoned game against Mansfield Town would have become a “laughing stock” had it continued. The game was abandoned after just four minutes due to fog, which only really started causing problems around 20-minutes before kick-off. Kick-off was initially delayed until 20:00 to give the fog a chance to clear, but after four minutes of action, the game was stopped. Referee Carl Brook delayed the game again before making the decision to abandon it at 20:25. It’s the second time Rovers have had a Football League clash with Mansfield abandoned, with their match in December 2018 stopped at half-time due to a waterlogged pitch. “We’re disappointed because I thought we started the game really well!” joked Edwards. “No, we couldn’t see the far side and we don’t want a game like that. It wasn’t safe. The linesman can’t see the far side of the pitch, so you don’t want to be done by a goal that’s four yards offside.” https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/it-little-bit-farcical--6514534 Edwards was visibly delighted when the referee announced that the game would be going ahead, applauding, and punching the air, but when the match did start, he was laughing on the touchline with Mansfield boss Nigel Clough whenever the ball was on the other side of the pitch. A number of scouts left with the game only a couple of minutes old - with the thick fog ultimately meaning that they couldn’t do their jobs. Edwards said: “We all wanted to play and they (Mansfield) wanted to play as well because they’re in really good form. “I’m no expert in this, but we wanted to give it every chance and I have seen fog lift before, but it wasn’t to be this time. “It was a little bit farcical when it was over the far side. I literally couldn’t see what was happening and I could just see this little yellow ball pinging around. It wasn’t safe and it would have become a bit of a laughing stock.” Forest Green host Carlisle United on Saturday, January 22. Forest Green Rovers: McGee; Godwin-Malife, Moore-Taylor, Cargill; Wilson, Stevenson, Hendry, Cadden; Young; Stevens, Matt. Subs not used: Thomas, Bernard, Sweeney, Aitchison, Edwards, Diallo, March. Mansfield Town: Bishop; Hewitt, Rawson, Hawkins, McLaughlin; Stirk, O’Toole, Quinn; Maris; Bowery, Oates. Subs not used: Stech, Nartey, Charsley, Johnson, Law, Gale, Lapslie. Referee: Carl Brook. ------------------------ |
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