Suspended Play

[PhilAnders]

What started as an unfortunate incident, has, because of the leagues failure to deal with the event quickly and equitably, looks like it is turning into a tactic. “If one of you goes down in injury time, the others must refuse to play on until you know he is ok!” Cynical old me eh?

[BigLeftToe]

Don’t think you’re being cynical at all, Wealdstone clearly trying every tactic in the book to get the game abandoned. With Butler saying it’s not the refs decision to abandon the game surely that suggests a 3-0 win is incoming?

[PhilAnders]

With regards to Eastleigh, League Management committee should have met as soon as it was known that both players involved were recovering. A decision should have been made regarding the status of the result, even if players were referred to the disciplinary committee for consideration. We would then have known how many future games we would be without Starbuck and Horton. It would also have put a stop to today’s shenanagans, as it would be clear and crystal what the situation re abandonment would be.

[Siderite]

If what Andy has said is true, it’s a forfeit and give them a 3 point deduction to prevent repeats.

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BigLeftToe

[PhilAnders]

I wonder. Just because the referee didn’t make the decision doesn’t mean that Wealdstone did. There is an England game tonight. Maybe all fixtures have to be finished by the time it kicks off and those that can’t be are abandoned! Then again, I could be talking Bollocks as Aldershot and Brackley Kicked off at 5.30!

[BigLeftToe]

Butler confirmed on radio that the ref and the League instructed that the game must continue. Wealdstone refused “because they weren’t in the right frame of mind”.

[PhilAnders]

Well, when the league finally gets round to considering our suspended games then if they decide the Eastleigh game must be replayed , then Wealdstone will almost certainly argue that today’s should be as well. You could not make this shit up!

[ironingboard]

I shall be lighting a candle for the Wealdstone players. I will pray their mental strength is strong enough to complete a season.

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Rene Artois

[Northumbiron]

Looks like the Bert Trautmann days are long gone!

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lesgeo

[BigLeftToe]

PhilAnders wrote:

Well, when the league finally gets round to considering our suspended games then if they decide the Eastleigh game must be replayed , then Wealdstone will almost certainly argue that today’s should be as well. You could not make this shit up!

Completely different scenario to the Eastleigh game. The referee made the decision to abandon that game, and rightly so. This game was abandoned solely because Wealdstone refused to play. Forfeit game, 3-0 win incoming.

Different organisation (and we know how shambolic the National League are) but similar to when Romania were awarded a 3-0 win versus Kosovo because Kosovo players refused to play after receiving abuse from the crowd.

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TheJuryeffsOut

[SouthYorksIron]

I’d have been more convinced about their players’ ‘frame of mind’ if any of them had shown the slightest concern for his plight while he was being treated.

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lesgeo, TheJuryeffsOut

[Iron-awe]

All things being equal we should get the three points and a 3-0 win and Wealdstone should be in a whole lot of trouble over this incident, they must be punished very severely IMO.

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lesgeo, Rene Artois

[CMC]

Two abandonments in a week, another unwanted club record!

[Iron-awe]

CMC wrote:

Two abandonments in a week, another unwanted club record!

Yes and neither incident our fault, that’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes.

[Awaywego]

Said for a long while the games getting too woke, especially when it comes to fans having a medical emergency in the ground, just get them to the front or concourse where they can be treated and then carry on.
Common sense obviously the Eastleigh game where their player was having convulsions abandon the game.
Where it’s not life threatening just play on once player removed from the field of play.
Can’t say today I wasn’t there but from opinions it appears they were cheating.
Quick decision needed can’t have Starbuck and Horton banned forever.

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lesgeo, Rene Artois, TheJuryeffsOut

[Lord Kitchener]

I could understand what happened at Eastleigh, very nasty injury that was, and great care needed. But a dislocated shoulder, that was popped back in? Why did he even need a stretcher? I’ve seen jumps jockeys walking away with worse injuries. It’s a joke, and not a funny one.

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lesgeo

[TheJuryeffsOut]

Pathetic by Wealdstone.
Hopefully the National League come down on them like a ton of bricks.
Embarrassing for the Wealdstone fans.

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Rene Artois

[BigLeftToe]

I remember seeing Eduardo’s foot quite literally hanging off his leg when it was broken in a Premier League game vs Birmingham. He was stretchered off and taken to hospital. Game continued. Wealdstone playing the “mental health” card is a sign of the times I guess.

[Ex Officio]

Maybe the next time we are 3-0 down at home we should all start feinting and asking for medical assistance, shaking our heads and insisting our health can’t stand it. Hopefully we may get a replay.

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Rene Artois

[Deereyme66]

‘Said for a long while the games getting too woke,’

What’s ‘woke’ got to do with shithousery and deception?

[Northumbiron]

Wow I’d never had had Awaywego to be the first to come out with the “W” word.

LOL!

[another fed up fan]

Sounds like good old fashioned cheating to me.
Three points awarded to Scunny and a fine for Wealdstone
Had a smashing afternoon nap at Villa Park today apparently a football match was on but I never heard a thing

[Deereyme66]

Concerned for Wealdstone players if and when they watch their partners giving birth.

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lesgeo, steelworks iron

[lichfieldlad]

I cannot understand how long it took to diagnose the injury. If back and head and limbs were deemed sound and it was indeed a shoulder area injury, then it should be no more than a simple stretcher into the dressing room at the most for treatment. I am a regular race course goer and have seen fallen jockeys with shoulder dislocations actually be walk assisted to an ambulance where on occasions the skilled medic could pop the shoulder back into place. So why the long pitch attention please?

[TheJuryeffsOut]

They did take a long time, but that is the professional decision of the medical staff and paramedics to deal with it there on the ground and I think that’s fair enough.

Regarding what happened with the Wealdstone players, this could become a huge mistake by them. Unless I’ve misunderstood Butler, I’m sure he said their manager wanted them to come out but they refused ? Assuming the NL do the right thing and award us the win, how does that leave their relationship with the club and the manager – they could have just ruined their whole season.

[Deereyme66]

Not sure I completely trust anything coming out of their camp tbh.

[PhilAnders]

The National league have to act fast on this one, certainly before the York and Rochdale game on Tuesday evening, or a whole new area of “gamesmanship” has come into being. Leaving aside the decisions on our 2 suspended games, the league have to give guidance to Referees and Clubs on the following:
1. When a player stays down injured. When should a referee stop the game?
2. Who makes the initial assessment of the injury? The injured players club physio or the Match Doctor
3. Who makes the decision to treat the player on the pitch? Who makes the decision to move them off?
4. Once the player is off the pitch, what are the expectations on the behaviour of the remaining players?
5. In what circumstances should a referee abandon a game?
What sanctions will be placed on clubs who fail to follow protocol?

Of course, having done this, the league will then have to draw up a protocol concerning spectators. Far to many games are interrupted because of “medical emergencies” in the crowd!

[PhilAnders]

What I would do if on the NL Board

1. Back the Referees decision in both games.
2. Given the late suspension of play in both games, Reinstate the results at the times of suspension as the final results and declare both fixtures completed ( Starbuck and Horton have thus served their disciplinary suspensions).
3. Refer any disciplinary action to the relevant committee for further consideration. This effectively separates any punishment on Wealdstone for not completing the fixture from the result of the game and allows them to plead mitigating circumstances for the mental health of their players in not completing the fixture. Any fine or points deduction is then mitigated in accordance with their supporting evidence.

This creates a split between what happened at Eastleigh (Referee Abandonment) and against Wealdstone (Refusal to obey Ref’s instruction to play). It sends a message to all clubs that getting a game called off won’t necessarily get you a replay and more importantly, ignoring the Ref’s instructions will lead to punishment beyond the points played for on the day. A Fine and a 3 point deduction should effectively take this play out of the Gamesmanship manual.

[Northumbiron]

Remember the “one team in Tallin” incident with Scotland and Estonia?

Ref could have done something similar.

Restart with a dropped ball, Iron players walk it into the goal (not ours!). No opposition to take the kickoff. Game over result 3-1.

Too late to do that now of course but the 2-1 home win should stand.

[Author]

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