The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Another week without income not what was required. :(

For f***'s sake, I hadn't looked on here or the OWS since first thing so I didn't even know there was a pitch inspection planned - I only found out when I got to Nene Park! :roll: :x

I had a peek through the gate and there were areas of standing water in the corners and goalmouths, although they were only small patches and the rest of the pitch looked alright. I've seen matches played on much worse looking pitches than that, although without going onto the pitch it's difficult to say whether it was playable or whether the ref was just over zealous. It wasn't raining at Nene Park while I was there.

Btw , I know the club have not relied upon just the OS to get the word out. It has been announced on the radio, I was told in a phone call at 12 by my Brighton supporting relatives on their way from Sussex to Stoke for their FA Cup game.

Just got back from NP and I must say I was surprised on the cancellation. I only live 5 miles from the ground and although we have had rain overnight I never for a minute expected this. I always believed we had one of the best laid and drained pitches in non-league football, despite being in Nene Valley. In times past when other clubs in the area have had to postpone due to wet weather we have always managed to play. I wonder what is the difference now..?

Felt sorry for some Bath fans I met outside the club shop - travlled all this way for nothing. Also saw numerous fans arriving in cars and then turning around.

Do refs really think everything through. Spose in these days of Health and Safety, it's more than his job's worth..!

I would suggest the possible lack of investment in the playing surface over the last few years has meant that for the first time ever, we have a postponed game, for rain, at Nene Park.
I'm not blaming anyone, but if you have very limited budgets to look after the pitch, when it comes to days like this, the lack of investment is repaid.

Don't forget we had guys like Paul and Ewan (now head groundsman at Forest and previous national groundsman of the year) looking after the surface with fairly healthy budgets. Now we have very little....

davealbon wrote:For f***'s sake, I hadn't looked on here or the OWS since first thing so I didn't even know there was a pitch inspection planned - I only found out when I got to Nene Park! :roll: :x

I also got to the ground as I didn't expect any problems. Considering the little rain we have had in the past week I'm surprised it didn't drain better. Eleven o-clock seems a strange time to make the decision as Bath's team and supporters would have already left. Given that the forecast was for the rain to stop early in the afternoon I would have thought a later decision could have been made and vigorous forking undertaken in the meantime.

It seems that referees are sometimes a little over zealous with decisions to call games off these days. Had this been the case in the seventies Derby County would never have played at the Baseball Ground.

Its the modern day Health and Safety regulations which referee's have in mind as no doubt there would be a ambulance chasing lawer loitering awaiting a player to get injured whilst slipping on a watery muddy patch.

Also as has been menioned our budget for the pitch has been getting lower season by season so from having a pitch worthy of the Championship and above its now at the level of Lower League football we now reside in.

I bet the pitch isn't waterlogged now didn't the ref have access to the forecast it said it was going to be drying up before three. :roll:

If we're going to call games off for weather like this we might aswell give up between the months of November-March.

Corby and Northampton got their games on. I'm at Sixfields at the moment. When i tell people why i'm not at Diamonds they look at me like i've lost the plot.

Better keep my eye on the OS tuesday!

Barton grow up ffs, do you think the club like calling games off ? No course they don't lack of income etc...
You seem to think we are still living in the Griggs era, we are NOT, we dont have a pot to p*ss in!
It's rained here constantly for the last 12 hours! :roll: