Squizzy wrote:Teddles, I thought a Ref's job was exactly as you put it - to judge whether (no pun intended) or not a pitch is playable.
Whether you or I agree or not. It should be up to a match Referee.
As for the family in tow - while I understand what you're trying to say, that's a risk surely everyone must accept considering we play a winter sport.
Caveat: no attack intended, Teddles. Just replying.
Unlike a lot of people on this forum, I can tell the difference between discussion and attack
On the ref, there's a difference between 'unplayable' and long term damage. A pitch can be put temporarily out of action by storms and you're right, that's when a ref needs to make a decision. However, long term damage can often be predicted and avoided days before a match and it's here that a groundsman comes into the equation - he knows what that pitch can and can't take.
My post wasn't meant to suggest that a ref shouldn't be able to make the decision, rather that he's not the only one able to make the decision.
As for families - you don't have junior football without the support of the family. As the player, you can accept the disappointment of getting to a game and having it called off. What about your little sister though (assuming you have one of course), who isn't interested in football but gets dragged to the games because there are no alternatives? Or yoru parent/s who I can assure you usually have lots of other things other than football transport they could be doing.
If you want your family to support your football, you need to understand that it is a burden, an enjoyable one I admit but still a burden. A match takes travelling time (usually half an hour or more each way) plus three hours out of a day - less for younger kids but my lad has to be at the ground an hour before kickoff. That's a big chunk out of a day and knowing the match is cancelled the day before allows a family to do other stuff rather that waste much of the day on a match that doesn't happen.
As a single parent with two kids who never misses a game (even when I don't have them), I can assure you that a game cancelled before hand is a blessing where loosing a couple of hours for an abandonment is a curse.
