[ Tue 29th Sep ] v Kings Langley FC, KO 7:45pm SL1DC AWAY

[Trek]

He was wiped out from behind by a Langley player, followed by being restrained / assaulted by most of their bench.

Thanks for that. I was along that side near our dugout so couldn't make out what happened after he'd been 'tackled' off the pitch.

[Trek]

A Ground Hoppers view from the NLM forum:-

Pretty certain we have not heard the last of this contest...

Kings Langley 1 (ABD) V 1 AFC Rushden and Diamonds - Southern League Division 1 (Cental)
Prog 20 pages £1.50 - Admission £8.00 - Att 125(ish)

... Was enticed to this on the basis of both teams having made speedy starts to their respective seasons, though less than 6 months since the initial trip to Gaywood Park. Obviously no changes since last trip though one of our grouping who had not visited for some years noticed the transformation that has accompanied the hosts rather rapid rise up the league.

First half was hard fought but with no untoward problems involving players/benches with both teams looking defensively secure. Best chance fell early to Adebiyi coming late at the back post to a strongly struck low cross from the right, but skied his shot over the angle.

Second half was very similar to the first, with neither defence affording any semblance of space resulting in neither team being able to anything that resembled clear cut. Rushden's cause not helped by a succession of long crosses into the middle being confidently and effectively caught by Comos in the home goal. Herbert had a decent chance to put the visitors in front but was forced wide and his shot found the side netting.

With a quarter of an hour remaining, Kings Langley took the lead when a free kick from Stevens saw the Rushden defence fail to pick up Deaton who guided a downward header wide of Finlay and at this stage the visitors long unbeaten record looked in severe jeopardy.

Not surprisingly, after taking the lead the hosts indulged in some well known time wasting tactics and one in particular which clearly caused consternation. With Deaton already down in the home penalty area, a clearly uninjured Comos launched a sixty yard punt downfield and then demanded treatment for himself. This is where the rules of the game and custom and practice separate as when play resumed with a Rushden throw they expected possession to be given back to them. Clearly the visitors were unhappy with the hosts blatant time wasting and with a quickly taken throw caught the Kings Langley defence unaware. Joseph ran onto the loose ball and his powerful drive was only parried by Comos into the path of Quigley who headed in to the delight of the travelling hordes. Not surprisingly the home bench is incensed and after a rather ugly fracas involving many of the players which results in one of the home bench being dismissed, play resumed with at least five minutes stoppage time still to be played.

Within seconds a nasty challenge in front of the Kings Langley bench sees Harris receive a kick in the back from one of those remaining on the hosts bench. Not surprising to use the applicable parlance 'it all kicks off again' with most of the players and both benches involved. After a very lengthy stoppage (during which Lamb-Johnson one of the unused Rushden subs receives a straight red, though there were at least another dozen who were worthy of such a punishment), the referee blew his whistle to bring the contest to an end.

Given that the time is now 21.46, it is not clear whether the ref has simply called time to signal the end of the game or abandoned the match. Initially we thought that it was the former but seeing that the result was not showing on the Southern League website and looking at the two Twitter accounts, it's clearly the case that the match was not concluded and will be subject to the usual investigation/fine/and empty words from the two clubs that such an incident will never ever happen again.

Many of the Rushden supporters were heard to be not happy with the referee 'for losing control' but IMHO the referee had a good game in testing conditions. It was the two benches who completely lost control along with many of the players who have learnt too many bad habits from those in the Premiership who should be setting an example.

In many ways the various delays assisted as trains back are hardly convenient. Was advised that the journey to Gaywood Park is much easier travelling from Apsley rather than foot slogging through Kings Langley and it can be confirmed that the former is approximately half the journey.

[icm]

The Southern League website now says that the game was abandoned

It will be interesting to see what their next move will be

[sussexdiamond]

I have never liked this stupid idea of "giving the ball back". It is a quite recent introduction and as far as I know does not constitute part of the "Rules of the Game". Nor do I like the dropped ball where no one contests it.

Players always managed without these situations in the past, so whats changed?

[paulg]

I have never liked this stupid idea of "giving the ball back". It is a quite recent introduction and as far as I know does not constitute part of the "Rules of the Game". Nor do I like the dropped ball where no one contests it.

Players always managed without these situations in the past, so whats changed?

Quite agree - it's a gesture that was always going to be open to abuse at all levels of the game and could do with being tightened up in the laws (i.e. no team should ever feel obligated to put the ball out of play unless directed to do so by the referee) - teams putting pressure on their opponents to stop the game on an ethical level doesn't really work. The officials need to make the decisions, not the players.

The top professionals do a thorough job of running the clock down, from pretending to mis-control a ball when preparing to take a throw-in to outright feigning injury. As we saw with Wisbech last season, the lower non-league teams tend not to be as sophisticated when doing this and make it more blatant in their amateur attempts to waste time, and by the sound of things Kings Langley shot themselves in the foot by going over the top last night (3 players going down simultaneously, one of them laughing at the crowd etc). Asking for trouble really.

That said, no matter who did what last night, I don't think the Southern League will have any choice but to punish both teams no matter what provocation led to the incidents boiling over. Although poor old Brad appears to have every reason to feel hard done by!

[Trek]

The officials need to make the decisions, not the players.

Which they did in the situation being discussed. The referee was heard to say 'he doesn't want the physio' so when the ball was punted 60 yards into touch by the 'injured' goalie the referee gave no instructions regarding the resultant throw in by Brad. The Kings Langley defence remained deep in their half on the restart and when the ball was played in the channel to Scottie the KL defence contested it and the goalie failed to collect the shot by Scottie. Cue Ritchie Hanlon, assisted by the joint manager, running onto the pitch verbally abusing the referee and receiving a deserved red card.

[paulg]

Thanks Trek, that's very interesting to hear the KL bench ran on to the pitch to abuse the referee (the accounts I've seen suggested the dispute was between the opposing teams) - sounds like that's an issue the Southern League need to address KL with independently of however they judge the fallout between the benches that followed?

[Olly]

Well it's good to hear a neutral's view of things, but what a mess. So on the one hand, we didn't give the ball back after they put the ball out for an 'injury', but on the other hand, their player was not only faking an injury to waste time, but he also completely unnecessarily punted the ball way upfield expecting us to give the ball back for them to waste even more time :?

I'm trying to put my bias aside here and see both sides of the story, but I'm really struggling to have any sympathy for a team using such pathetic illegitimate time wasting tactics, it's common courtesy to give the ball back when it's a genuine injury of course, but is it really that bad if you don't give the ball back when the only reason the ball was put out by the team was basically to cheat?? It's not even cheating to not give the ball back, you could argue it's poor sportsmanship of course, but like already said, there's nothing in the rules about giving the ball back. Whereas I assume there is something in the rules about faking injuries? It does seem to me that KL got what they deserved, even if the result doesn't stand.

[Trek]

You can clearly see Ritchie Hanlon, in the background on the pitch, whilst our players are celebrating the equaliser before he started verbally abusing the referee.

[Brownie]

And Hanlon is one of only 2 people connected with Langley you can see, all the rest were practicing their expletive vocabulary to the Ref, that was going on directly in front of us and the Hobbit (No 2) was lucky to stay on the pitch with his direct abuse and arm waving in the face of said Ref, maybe if he had dismissed him the required signal would have gone out, things may have calmed down and the game could have been completed. The irony being the biggest time wasting culprit and the one who was laughing at us when he got away with it was The Hobbit. Given how late the goal was it`s probably fair to say it was scored in the time added on for his antics.
On a separate note great call by whoever started it of "Wilson" to Chuck Noland running the line on the dugout side.