Sutton v Bromley the game is now OFF

[garethl]

Surprised if the ref is happy that managers have any say.

[markf]

Apparently it was an agreed decision, so no blame on either party, if that is the word to use. One corner of the pitch is boggy. Still, it wouldn't have finished anyway, raining in Sutton now. Could have ruined the pitch too.

The club had to try to get the game on, but the odds were probably against it happening.

[wiltshire]

Well, that is quite annoying. We have just driven a 180+ mile round trip and the high light was turkey sandwiches in the club car park! Left it as late as I could safely do so before leaving and having checked the website regularly this morning. If the pitch was borderline at 10.30 this morning and having regard to the forecast why not call it off early? It is hard to see how the pitch could have deteriorated that much as it was fairly dry on the way up. If the ref. genuinely thought it was playable then the game should have been on. It sounds like the ref. was acually pretty doubtful and deferred to the managers (it is their players taking the risk after all)which suggests the 10.30 inspection was optimistic all along. Optimism is fine but I think it has probably wasted quite a few of the "exiles" and Bromley fans Boxing day afternoons.

[Amber Aleman]

Also rather annoying was that seven BSBS matches were played today, and, thanks to some of the results, Sutton slip four places in the table to 18th.

That said, the middle and lower reaches of the table are now so tight that Hayes & Yeading in 8th place are only three points above Dorchester in 19th.

[bornatotter]

Yes mate. And all eyes on sat now with plenty more of this crap weather forecast. And the fixtures continue to pile up. If the pitch is unfit and unsafe then that's that but I'm sure I'm not the only one who went mmmmmm at half ten when we were confirmed as deffo on when afc had just been called off. I just find it hard to believe cow corner was much worse then than it was at two and even Michael fish could have told you there was more rain on the way when the initial inspection took place. With the ice age due in January according to the daily express could be long run in to the end of the season.

[Andy K]

In the absence of Sutton, i took in the 2nd half of Tooting V Merstham. With the weather happening there, there would have been no way our match would have made the 90min - the conditions were far worse than New Years Day.

Tooting's pitch wasn't in bad nick, but I would expect with a newer ground, it has better drainage than ours. The conditions dictated an awful game (or maybe thats just Ryman 1!)

Merstham won 4-2, with Tooting missing 2 penalties.

[DaveF]

To clarify, the final decision rests with the match referee. Early inspections are usually carried out by a suitably qualified local referee rather than the match ref and although he can call the game off (usually after a phone call to the match ref), all he can do the other way is to say that in his opinion at the time he inspected the pitch was suitable for play. Clubs then have to wait for the match referee to arrive and he can have a different opinion.
Clubs cannot make the decision themselves.

[os]

In truth it was always going to be borderline and that rain around KO would have meant another B/Wood. I am not sure you can blame anyone?

[bornatotter]

That's quite right mate. Just surprised that the match official who had the final call didn't rock up till 2pm to take a butchers but there you are.

[oohaah]

I win of any sort would have placed us 8th whereas a heavy defeat would find us back in a relegation place... Strange league this year!

[garethl]

Let's hope we get the chance to match up with the form side of the division and at the moment my personal clear favourite for the championship on Saturday. Must already be in serious doubt given the forecast. A decent performance would set us up for what looks like a long January (weather permitting).

[tonyd]

Arrived at 2:35 to find the game off, having checked earlier that it was on. Raced over to Chipstead v Dulwich, arriving just before ko. It rained cats & dogs for the whole 90 minutes but the pitch was perfect throughout!

[johnnie1]

Once I'd found out the game was off I headed over to our opponents in the nest round of the Surrey Senior Cup, Corinthian Casuals. I filmed the game which Corinthian lost 2-0 to a solid Leatherhead side. The pitch was looking a bit waterlogged in the last 5 minutes but was otherwise okay

[Stewart]

The attendaces in the BSS were not that impressive. Maybe the rain had an impact?

[Amber Aleman]

There's always someone worse off. Truro v Dorchester was called off at around 2.40 pm yesterday. That meant some long, wasted journeys.