Archived News from January 2022
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CLOUGH AND ROB EDWARDS REACTION
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Match abandonment was ‘unavoidable’ says boss
mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 18th January 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough described the decision to abandon this evening’s game away at Forest Green Rovers due to heavy fog as ‘unavoidable’. The clash with the league leaders will now take place on a rearranged date. Speaking to the media at The Fully Charged New Lawn, the gaffer said: “It’s unavoidable, there’s nothing the referee can do about it. “The fog has come in and we’ve given it every chance to clear and it’s just got worse. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/january/match-abandonment-was-unavoidable-says-boss/ “The last thing we wanted with two such good teams on show tonight was the supporters not to be able to see it despite having travelled [such a long distance]. “You don’t want it [the match] to be decided by a lottery. “We can’t see the far side, the linesman couldn’t see it so he doesn’t know about offsides and you don’t want any mistakes.” Kick-off was delayed twice in the hope that fog would clear. After eventually getting underway, the match was stopped for two separate ten minute spells before being called off. “It [the fog] had improved. When it got to quarter to eight we said we’d give it ten minutes and it had lifted a little bit,” said the manager. “Within four or five minutes after eight o’clock it [the fog] had come down again. It’s probably got worse again now [following the abandonment]. “You can only give it so long [before calling the match off] the players can’t keep stop, starting, stop, starting. “When you’re prepared for it [it’s disappointing]. We’re in a reasonable run of form at the minute so the lads wanted to play.” The manager reflected on the players’ frustrations at not being able to play but revealed the severity of the conditions, pitchside. “There’s very few worse feelings as a footballer than to be denied a game of football when you’re ready for it,” he said “They’re all [saying] let’s play and then once we’d kicked off they couldn’t really see the ball once it went over a certain height. “The two wide men, Elliott Hewitt and Stephen McLaughlin, were saying they couldn’t see each other. “They had no idea where they were on the pitch so that’s no good for them.” The manager will now prepare the Stags for the next fixture, away at Barrow this Saturday. “We’ll train in the morning and have a good session to replace the game tonight,” the boss said. “We’ll travel up to Barrow on Friday and prepare for the game.” ------------------- Nigel Clough pledge to help Mansfield Town fans get back to Forest Green Rovers after frustrating fog abandonment chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Tuesday 18th January 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough vowed to try to arrange some compensatory travel back down to Forest Green Rovers for the frustrated fans who made the long haul for tonight's big League Two showdown that fell foul of the fog. Kick-off was delayed and the game eventually started after the fog began to clear. But it came down again with only three minutes played and, despite another wait, the game was abandoned. “It was unavoidable. There was nothing the referee could do. There was nothing anybody could do about it,” said Clough https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/nigel-clough-pledge-to-help-mansfield-town-fans-get-back-to-forest-green-rovers-after-frustrating-fog-abandonment-3532737 “The fog came in and we gave it every chance to clear, but it just got worse. “It's probably worse for the supporters, having trekked down here. “As a club we will see if we can come up with some travel arrangements when the game is rearranged and see what we can do to look after them. “The last thing we wanted, with two such good teams on show tonight, was the supporters not to be able to see it having travelled there, especially our supporters. “And you don't want it to be decided by a lottery. We couldn't see the far side and the linesman couldn't see it, so he doesn't know about offsides. You don't want any mistakes. “With two good teams you don't it to be decided on that.” He added: “The referee got it absolutely spot on. There were all sorts of issues. “The main thing is it was a game between two good teams and people have got to see it. “Conditions did improve and it lifted a little bit. But within four or five minutes after eight o'clock it had come down again. And it got worse. “You can only give it so long. The players can't keep stop-starting as much as we wanted to play the game.” With Stags having won their last six games and in the play-off zone, they were all keyed up to test themselves against table-topping Roves tonight “We had prepared for it and we are on a reasonable run of form, so we were all desperate to play,” he said. “We had travelled down and done all the preparation. There are few worse feelings for a footballer than being denied a game of football when you're ready for it. “They said let's play, but once we kicked off we couldn't really see the ball, when it went over a certain height as well, and the two wide men, Elliott Hewitt and Stephen McLaughlin were saying they couldn't see each other and had no idea where they were on the pitch. That's no good for football.” Stags now need a third date for the game, the first fixture being lost to a Covid outbreak at Forest Green just before Christmas. “We will get it in somewhere but it is all getting a bit congested now with the fixtures we've had to rearrange,” said Clough. “Forest Green are in a similar situation. But there is nothing we can do about it. It's not Covid and it's not injuries. It's just the weather.” Fog abandonment is nothing new for the former Forest star, “Playing at Forest, it came in off the River Trent quite a few times, watching and playing the odd time,” he said. “All of a sudden it was clear, then mist rolling in from the Trent and all that - and it did at times. “We lost a few games like that, but generally I have not seen this too often in my managerial career. “We will now train in the morning and have a good session to replace the game tonight and then we will travel up to Barrow on Friday and prepare for the game.” ------------------------ It was the right decision says Forest Green manager Rob Edwards after fog forced Mansfield Town clash to be abandoned chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Tuesday 18th January 2022 Forest Green Rovers’ boss Rob Edwards believes the right decision was made after Mansfield Town’s trip to the New Lawn was curtailed due to heavy fog after just three minutes tonight. “I’m really disappointed, I thought we started the game well,” quipped Edwards. “We couldn’t see the far side and we don’t want a game like that. “You’ve got to think about the safety of everyone involved. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/it-was-the-right-decision-says-forest-green-manager-rob-edwards-after-fog-forced-mansfield-town-clash-to-be-abandoned-3532742 “The linesman couldn’t see the other side so one team’s going to get done by someone being four yards offside. “We all wanted to play. Everyone wanted the game on, but it was probably wishful thinking. “I’m not an expert, we wanted to give it every chance but it wasn’t to be.” The Stags were desperate to pit their wits against the runaway league leaders. Nigel Clough’s charges are in an incredible run of form with six straight league wins and nine wins with one defeat since the end of October. But they will have to make the 268-mile round trip again after this call off. ------------------- Fogged off: ‘You couldn’t see what was going on the far side and all you could see was a yellow ball pinging round’ - Forest Green boss Rob Edwards on abandoned Mansfield game stroudtimes.com, By Ashley Loveridge Forest Green boss Rob Edwards and Mansfield Town counterpart Nigel Clough insisted the referee had no other option than to abandon the game after just four minutes due to fog. Earlier, referee Carl Brook delayed the kick-off for 15 minutes as thick fog descended on the Fully Charged New Lawn stadium. However, play lasted for four minutes with Forest Green captain Jamille Matt hitting s speculative strike through the fog to test Manchester United loanee, Nathan Bishop, in the Stags’ goal. That was it for action with the referee choosing to call time despite hoping the fog would lift with the game officially abandoned at 8.25pm. Edwards felt his table-topping side had started brightly in their brief cameo against a Mansfield side boasting six wins on the spin: “We started the game really well, but we couldn’t see the far side and the linesman couldn’t see the far side of the pitch and you don’t want to get done with someone four yards offside.” https://stroudtimes.com/fogged-off-you-couldnt-see-what-was-going-on-the-far-side-and-all-you-could-see-was-a-yellow-ball-pinging-round-forest-green-boss-rob-edwards-on-abandoned-mansfield-game/ Edwards wanted the game to be given every chance, but felt the right decision was made, he added: “We wanted to give the game every chance, but it was a little bit farcical, you couldn’t see what was going on the far side and all you could see was a yellow ball pinging round and it wasn’t safe and you have to be careful because you don’t want it to be a laughing stock.” Frustrated Clough concurred with Edwards on a night of frustration for both sides: “Apparently they had a shot. “There was nothing the referee could do about it. We all gave it every chance. “The last thing we needed was with two very good teams on show was the supporters not being able to see it. “We couldn’t see the far side of the pitch and the linesman couldn’t see for offsides. “Before kick-off it actually improved a little and so at quarter to eight we agreed to give it ten minutes, but after playing four or five minutes it came down again. “Once we kicked off the players said they couldn’t see the ball once it went over a certain height and our two wide men couldn’t see each other. “There aren’t many worse things for a footballer than to be denied a game when you’re ready for it.” Forest Green welcome Carlisle to the Fully Charged New Lawn on Saturday. ----------------------- “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. ----------------------- |
Latest | January 2022