Archived News from September 2012
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MACC GAME OFF
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5.15pm - GAME OFF
Waterlogged pitch. Bit naughty Macc in my opinion. The game could never have been on. It has been raining heavily for more than 36 hours in the area, as I've been reporting on twitter and the Stagsnet messageboard. Right up there with Wrexham fiasco from a couple of seasons back - Martin ---------------- Macclesfield Town apology to fans after last-gasp postponement by Chris Slater, September 26, 2012 http://menmedia.co.uk/macclesfieldexpress/sport/football/macclesfield_town/s/1589708_macclesfield-town-apology-to-fans-after-last-gasp-postponement Macclesfield Town have apologised to fans after yesterday's clash with Mansfield was called off at the 11th hour. Despite two days of torrential the club reassured fans on their website yesterday that the game would go ahead. However the game was eventually postponed at 5:15pm when many supporters were on their way to the game. The Mansfield team had already arrived and manager Paul Cox later complained about the late postponement. Macc say a period of heavy rain late in the afternoon made the pitch unplayable. A club statement said: "Despite adverse weather conditions and thanks to the hard work of the ground staff, the pitch remained playable for most of yesterday but a period of heavier rain in late afternoon resulted in the referee's decision to call the game off." Chairman Mike Rance said: "Every effort was made to get the game played and we thought we'd beaten the weather but we were wrong. The Club offers its apologies to everyone who set out for the game on the basis of my earlier positive statement." ---------------- Stags manager Cox's fury over late Macclesfield postponement chad.co.uk, Wednesday 26 September 2012 MANSFIELD Town boss Paul Cox was furious over the late postponement of last night's tough away game at a rain-soaked Macclesfield Town. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/stags-manager-cox-s-fury-over-late-macclesfield-postponement-1-4961860 The match was called off at 5pm by which time the team and some fans had arrived at the Moss Rose to find there was no chance of the game taking place. But Cox and assistant Adam Murray travelled up by car before the bus arrived to find the pitch already under water and were left fuming. And speaking after the clash had been called off, the Stags' manager said he was unhappy a decision could not have been made sooner. “All it would have taken is a little bit of common sense with this one,” said Cox. “With the rain we were having and the forecast, this game must have been in doubt before this and a decision could have been made much earlier. “The lads were focused and were ready to play. We did everything right. “Also we had a lot of supporters who were travelling up here tonight and many of them probably got halfway and then had to turn back home. “There is an amber alert in this part of the country yet people have had to make an effort to try to get here. “We have been stuck in some horrendous traffic. “Some of the roads on the way up have been absolutely atrocious. “We seem to have come through a couple of rivers at one stage. “I just hope everyone gets home safely.” Despite the postponement, there will be no rest for the players, Cox revealed. He added: “The players will be in tomorrow, but if the game had been called off earlier we could have had them in today as well and had two days of good training.” The postponement means that striker Matt Green will now have to wait until Saturday's home clash with Hereford to complete his three-game suspension. Cox had hoped to bring in a free agent or loan striker to bolster the squad last night with only two fit strikers available at the club. With Nick Wright and Andy Todd both nearing fitness, the pressure may now be lifted on that score for the weekend, but the Stags' manager is still hoping to get one in. “There is nothing concrete at the moment but we are still in talks with players,” he said. “These deals can't always be done overnight.” Like Macclesfield, Saturday's opponents Hereford were also relegated from the Football League last year and have made an identical start to the season to Mansfield, winning five, drawing one and losing four of the first 10 games to sit in 10th, one place behind the Stags. For a full round-up of the latest goings-on at the One Call Stadium, see today's Chad ------------------- Stags in hunt for another striker Thursday, September 27, 2012 Nottingham Post MANSFIELD Town boss Paul Cox will up his search for a new striker after Matt Green's suspension was prolonged. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-16995895-detail/story.html Last season's 30-goal top scorer was due to serve the final match of a three-game ban at Macclesfield on Tuesday but the game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. It means he will be unavailable for Saturday's home clash with Hereford. Matt Rhead and Jake Speight are the only fully-fit strikers with Ross Dyer out for the season with a knee injury and Nick Wright also nursing a knock. Ben Hutchinson is only just on his way back from an Achilles problem. Cox said: "We went into last Saturday with two fit strikers and when you have aspirations like ourselves, that is not going to benefit you. In the second half we played with a central midfielder up front. "We have to compete with the likes of Luton and I would like to bring in another striker and I have to look at doing a bit of wheeling and dealing. "We are expected to be challenging and to go into a long period of games with two available strikers is not good. We have options with both loans and free transfers but a lot has to be done." The midweek game was postponed less than two-and-a-half hours before kick-off, with the Stags already in Macclesfield. Cox said: "It should have been postponed in the morning, then we could have had a good training session, rather than wasting it." ------------------------- Paul Cox told the Nottingham Post: "Everyone knew in the morning, with the weather they had, it was not going to go ahead. Adam Murray got there earlier and said there was no way it was playable. It is a wasted journey but we have to get on with it and get ready for Saturday's game (against Hereford)." ---------------------------------------- twitter.com/Mazza_78 (Alan Marriott) Absolutely scandalous! Get all way to pre match and game called off! Ref said should have been called off this morning!! #fuming #wastemyday ------------------------- EARLIER STORY Game On Posted: Tue 25 Sep 2012, 12.30pm http://www.mtfc.co.uk/news/article/game-on-250912-389463.aspx This evening's match set to go ahead as planned at the Moss Rose.Macclesfield Town's home clash with Mansfield this evening is set to take place on schedule after the Moss Rose pitch stood up admirably to the recent wet weather. "We did some work in the stadium over the summer to alter the flow of rainwater away from the pitch, which has improved the drainage and helped eliminate the problem areas we have had previously" said Chairman Mike Rance. "The pitch is now much better able to cope with whatever the Macclesfield weather can throw at it and the last couple of days have really put it to the test. "And the good news is that thanks to the work done and the efforts of our groundstaff over the past two days, it's standing up to the deluge extremely well, even with almost 40mm of rain over 36 hours. "As a result tonight's game with Mansfield Town is not in doubt based on the forecast for the rest of the afternoon and evening, there is no pitch inspection planned and we are all looking forward to a good game." The match kicks off at 7.45 this evening as the Silkmen look to lay down another marker in the battle for promotion as they face one of the pre-season favourites for the title |
Latest | September 2012