The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Hopefully we'll get a clear statement from our club tomorrow to clarify things - worrying if that is the case.

Rushdenjim wrote:UCL now saying ALL games at the Dog & Duck are OFF until future notice.

Considering there have been a lot of floodlight issues at several grounds in the UCL recently, for them to make a snap decision like this seems a bit odd. Today's game continued fine, as did the one at Long Buckby, so not sure why they have leapt to slapping us and Wellingborough with this sudden decision. If it has been made at the clubs' request I would have thought we would have released a statement already explaining why this is for the best and when a fix to the problem is likely to be made. Today's game was completed to a safe conclusion, Saturday's is 2 days away and we'd already announced an earlier kick-off time for it so any possible lighting problems wouldn't be an issue. Other clubs have been allowed earlier kick-off times, so why the sudden blanket ban on all games at this one ground at any time?

The problem is that there are too many people from the UCL giving out statements that are both incorrect and way over their authority level. The latest one is that the refs secretary has said Saturday games at 14.00, no midweek games.

That would seem sensible but we know sensible and UCL decisions are not always easy bedfellows

official statement here

http://www.afcdiamonds.com/afc-rushden- ... nuary-2015

Thanks Jon, makes more sense now - most unfortunate for Deeping that they can only play at 3pm and not 2pm on Sat. Maybe they have a player or two who work on Saturday mornings and can't make it over here an hour earlier. Don't think they'll face a more depleted/knackered Diamonds side this season.

Makes sense for all our Sat games to start at 2pm until the problem can be fixed, but well done once again to those behind the scenes today who got the lights working again after the delay.

Oh well, saves us going out in the rain.

We aren't the first club to have floodlight issues, and it was doubly unfortunate they occurred when they did. I have even more respect for our committee for trying to remain professional over issues like this, trying to do things the right way, when dealing with the league and other clubs.

I can't imagine any other league seeming to make such important announcements without consulting the appropriate parties - and thus causing even more confusion. What should have happened was a discussion after the match, without anybody going on social media with announcements they have to later retract / delete, and then a timed announcement that can be published by the league and the affected clubs at the same time. Perhaps we suffer through the fact that we've seen how things work at a professional club / league during our R&DFC days, and thus are taken by surprise how things work at this level.

The club statement covers your team, but what about Wellingborough who have a home game on Tuesday night? Whats the position on their games?
Who's going to resolve the problem- you or your landlords? Interesting situation in that the tenants have more financial resource than the landlord.

A shame that the match has been called off, was looking forward to that. One thing was it down to the league or the FA who changed are kick off times.

Holbeach have Yaxley on there next league game, Yaxley win would be best.