Karl Oyston: “I was disappointed to read quotes attributed to the Charlton Athletic manager Karl Robinson in relation to the postponement of this afternoon’s match."
"At no point did I comment on or discuss Charlton’s willingness to play the fixture, and I fully respect the referee’s decision to call the game off on the grounds of player safety. I have since spoken to Karl and I look forward to his apology at the rearranged fixture."
Cockwomble
I wouldn't hold your breath sunshine! What a dipstick.... since when has this waste of space been on the moral high ground?
First game for me in a long time - or at least it would have been. A five hour drive up from west Kent, parked my car outside the ground only to be told that the game was off. Couldn't believe it. Made better by meeting some smashing Blackpool fans and understanding that their vehemence towards Oyston is similar to ours towards RD. Also privileged to be present at a special tribute to Jimmy Armfield, around his statue and then chatting to John (Bromley John) and Lorraine, two fellow Addicks. Turns out John and I were at the same school in Sidcup. Now stuck in a very wet and windy out of season Blackpool searching for a decent curry or Chinese. Not easy .
What's the difference between pitches now and in the 60s when they were often a mudbath and played in all conditions? Is it due to new safety issues or what? Just appears to be so many more games called off in past 10 years or so than used to be.
I guess we don’t want to see players slipping over and chipping a finger nail or getting a bit of dirt on their Hair bands.
And players these days are well paid professional athletes who train their entire lives in the hopes of having what, a 10-15 year career. And clubs are huge entities with high turnover in revenue, and with all the money at stake they don't want to risk their biggest assets.
You can see these as good or bad (or both) developments in the game, but remember Norman Hunter and his ilk didn't make tackles at anywhere near the speed that happens today. And the speed the modern game is played at makes the risk of muscle injuries more common, part of the reason they don't want to play on bog-pitches.
Every company has its biggest assets ie their workers. Can't ever recalling my or any other company i have worked for say dont come in as the roads are a bit wet. They all think their prima donnas, even officials, about time this stopped.
Is your job something that requires you to be one of the best athletes in the country? Do you make up a sizable percentage of your company's value? Of course not. It's apples and oranges.
One week it's a kick and run pub league, the next the players are all soft prima donnas. It's just something else to whinge about.
Hope you're able to make the best of a bad situation.
Thanks for posting that. That's great to read. We did pay our respects to Jimmy Armfield and the Blackpool fans I spoke to were absolutely top drawer too.
I don't know when the photograph on the CAFC website was taken, showing a heavily waterlogged corner (it's not clear whether it's the pitch or the verge) but here are some photographs of the pitch at about 3:00pm. Apart from the near corner (not the same one), which a couple of buckets of sand might have sorted out, there doesn't seem to be a major problem. I don't mean to suggest that the ref called the match off unnecessarily but the reason for his decision was certainly not obvious to many of us there. However, it was nice to see both sets of supporters mingling happily and to see our scarves on the Jimmy Armfield statue.
Back in and settled after a fantastic day by the seas...
Back in and settled after a 14 hour round trip on the dj coach. Had a bite to eat at about 2pm, other than that not much to report
I lost the plot on the coach as we got to about Hemel Hempstead. The incubation of the dj coach became too much and after the driver locked the toilet because someone pissed all over the floor, I yearned for the beacon of the Redbridge roundabout.
Had to stand for the last 10 minutes of the journey as sitting on a coach for that long got to me. Need to take a leaf out of @The31YearMan ‘s book. He was so calm just getting through the lastest chapter in his Railway book, station hotels
I will be at the rearranged game
Well done to all addicks who made it over to the jimmy armfield tribute
I don't know when the photograph on the CAFC website was taken, showing a heavily waterlogged corner (it's not clear whether it's the pitch or the verge) but here are some photographs of the pitch at about 3:00pm. Apart from the near corner (not the same one), which a couple of buckets of sand might have sorted out, there doesn't seem to be a major problem. I don't mean to suggest that the ref called the match off unnecessarily but the reason for his decision was certainly not obvious to many of us there. However, it was nice to see both sets of supporters mingling happily and to see our scarves on the Jimmy Armfield statue.
I do have a bit of sympathy for the ref. If you take a look at the 2nd twitter video posted on here around 2pm when the ref tried to bounce the ball you'll notice that it doesn't (bounce). I think the ref thought it dangerous in that circumstance as the players would be going for the ball, anticipating a bounce, and then being deceived when there wasn't one & maybe causing an injury to another player.
Having said all that, I have no idea why the game couldn't go ahead at 4pm or 5pm or even tomorrow. Probably league protocol & maybe the ref doesn't have the authority to sanction something like that. Would be interesting to know.
...... I have no idea why the game couldn't go ahead at 4pm or 5pm or even tomorrow. Probably league protocol & maybe the ref doesn't have the authority to sanction something like that. Would be interesting to know.
But the ref would have the authority to start the match, stop it, and take the teams back to the dressing room - and then restart the match 30 minutes or more later.
What's the difference between pitches now and in the 60s when they were often a mudbath and played in all conditions? Is it due to new safety issues or what? Just appears to be so many more games called off in past 10 years or so than used to be.
I guess we don’t want to see players slipping over and chipping a finger nail or getting a bit of dirt on their Hair bands.
And players these days are well paid professional athletes who train their entire lives in the hopes of having what, a 10-15 year career. And clubs are huge entities with high turnover in revenue, and with all the money at stake they don't want to risk their biggest assets.
You can see these as good or bad (or both) developments in the game, but remember Norman Hunter and his ilk didn't make tackles at anywhere near the speed that happens today. And the speed the modern game is played at makes the risk of muscle injuries more common, part of the reason they don't want to play on bog-pitches.
Every company has its biggest assets ie their workers. Can't ever recalling my or any other company i have worked for say dont come in as the roads are a bit wet. They all think their prima donnas, even officials, about time this stopped.
Is your job something that requires you to be one of the best athletes in the country? Do you make up a sizable percentage of your company's value? Of course not. It's apples and oranges.
One week it's a kick and run pub league, the next the players are all soft prima donnas. It's just something else to whinge about.
Hope you're able to make the best of a bad situation.
What's the difference between pitches now and in the 60s when they were often a mudbath and played in all conditions? Is it due to new safety issues or what? Just appears to be so many more games called off in past 10 years or so than used to be.
I guess we don’t want to see players slipping over and chipping a finger nail or getting a bit of dirt on their Hair bands.
And players these days are well paid professional athletes who train their entire lives in the hopes of having what, a 10-15 year career. And clubs are huge entities with high turnover in revenue, and with all the money at stake they don't want to risk their biggest assets.
You can see these as good or bad (or both) developments in the game, but remember Norman Hunter and his ilk didn't make tackles at anywhere near the speed that happens today. And the speed the modern game is played at makes the risk of muscle injuries more common, part of the reason they don't want to play on bog-pitches.
Every company has its biggest assets ie their workers. Can't ever recalling my or any other company i have worked for say dont come in as the roads are a bit wet. They all think their prima donnas, even officials, about time this stopped.
Is your job something that requires you to be one of the best athletes in the country? Do you make up a sizable percentage of your company's value? Of course not. It's apples and oranges.
One week it's a kick and run pub league, the next the players are all soft prima donnas. It's just something else to whinge about.
Hope you're able to make the best of a bad situation.
I wasn't there, so only have the videos and comments of those there.
I feel for all that travelled.
This does remind me of Brighton away at the Goldstone when the puddles were so deep that players sometimes found themselves tackled by the puddles. It made the football difficult but added to the occasion.
Wasn't it at the Hawthorns in the facup when Gordon Watson's shot was stopped on the goal line by a puddle?
Conditions like this are memorable and should go ahead imo.
I have cancelled lots of matches as groundsman in my time but sometimes left it up to the ref and players to decide if they thought it was safe if on the hard side.
On the face of it, perhaps the ref could have taken the players and managers comments into account more than he appears to.
What's the difference between pitches now and in the 60s when they were often a mudbath and played in all conditions? Is it due to new safety issues or what? Just appears to be so many more games called off in past 10 years or so than used to be.
I guess we don’t want to see players slipping over and chipping a finger nail or getting a bit of dirt on their Hair bands.
And players these days are well paid professional athletes who train their entire lives in the hopes of having what, a 10-15 year career. And clubs are huge entities with high turnover in revenue, and with all the money at stake they don't want to risk their biggest assets.
You can see these as good or bad (or both) developments in the game, but remember Norman Hunter and his ilk didn't make tackles at anywhere near the speed that happens today. And the speed the modern game is played at makes the risk of muscle injuries more common, part of the reason they don't want to play on bog-pitches.
Every company has its biggest assets ie their workers. Can't ever recalling my or any other company i have worked for say dont come in as the roads are a bit wet. They all think their prima donnas, even officials, about time this stopped.
Is your job something that requires you to be one of the best athletes in the country? Do you make up a sizable percentage of your company's value? Of course not. It's apples and oranges.
One week it's a kick and run pub league, the next the players are all soft prima donnas. It's just something else to whinge about.
Hope you're able to make the best of a bad situation.
I don't know when the photograph on the CAFC website was taken, showing a heavily waterlogged corner (it's not clear whether it's the pitch or the verge) but here are some photographs of the pitch at about 3:00pm. Apart from the near corner (not the same one), which a couple of buckets of sand might have sorted out, there doesn't seem to be a major problem. I don't mean to suggest that the ref called the match off unnecessarily but the reason for his decision was certainly not obvious to many of us there. However, it was nice to see both sets of supporters mingling happily and to see our scarves on the Jimmy Armfield statue.
I do have a bit of sympathy for the ref. If you take a look at the 2nd twitter video posted on here around 2pm when the ref tried to bounce the ball you'll notice that it doesn't (bounce). I think the ref thought it dangerous in that circumstance as the players would be going for the ball, anticipating a bounce, and then being deceived when there wasn't one & maybe causing an injury to another player.
Having said all that, I have no idea why the game couldn't go ahead at 4pm or 5pm or even tomorrow. Probably league protocol & maybe the ref doesn't have the authority to sanction something like that. Would be interesting to know.
...... I have no idea why the game couldn't go ahead at 4pm or 5pm or even tomorrow. Probably league protocol & maybe the ref doesn't have the authority to sanction something like that. Would be interesting to know.
But the ref would have the authority to start the match, stop it, and take the teams back to the dressing room - and then restart the match 30 minutes or more later.
Wasn’t there so not commenting from a position of strength but it’s fairly clear from many many comments that the logical decision would have been to delay the kickoff by an hour.
There are related issues with anything more than that though. Stadium staff working longer. Policing would be difficult if KR’s suggestion of playing Sunday was serious. Not that straightforward but certainly a 16:00 kick off should have been an option.
When you look at the table, we have to play every team in the top six at home bar WIgan who we have played twice. Even though we didn't play - Saturday was a good day for us.
When you look at the table, we have to play every team in the top six at home bar WIgan who we have played twice. Even though we didn't play - Saturday was a good day for us.
And bar Shrewsbury (who we've not played at all) - The other four all have to come to the Valley
Back this arvo from Blackpool. I've long thought @hertsseasider to be one of the good guys - I can report that all the locals we spoke to are much his equal - a classy bunch who deserve a 1000 per cent better than the pestilence currently infecting their famous old club. One guy told us that the Oystons are desperate not to sell and rather are looking to liquidate any other assets to meet the pressing court demands. The family has just appointed an Oyston grandson (aged 23) to be CEO, and a granddaughter to be a director. For the long-suffering fans and town, this can only be deemed "cruel and unusual punishment".
My only other visit to Bloomfield Road was on Easter Saturday 1968 ( BFC 2-0 CAFC) - it's taken me a half-century to return, just to be thwarted by the elements. It was an honour, though, to be present at the tributes both outside and inside the stadium, and I'm proud that our players, coaches and fans played their respectful part. One way and other a memorable occasion, shared with the stalwart Fanackapan posse.
Back home now following a mixed overnighter in the windy "city" by the sea...( Even my freeze hold hairspray was severely tested on the front last night !)
Disappointingly, the only football we saw was via the big screen in The Litten Tree where we were able to chuckle at Wigan's victory over the Spammers (after witnessing the travelling masses exit our train that morning, tweed caps and all) and, more weirdly, cheer on Pardew's boys in that VAR pantomime at Anfield.
But, there were other winners on the day.....
Top of the list was the Blackpool faithful who put aside their animosity toward the Oystons( spit!) to attend what should have been a very special tribute to Jimmy Armfield & which may even have seen their team taking the 3 points with their fantastic support behind it. However, they did him proud under the circumstances & we were able to enter the ground to stand alongside them to show our solidarity.
Runners up were the Charlton players, their gaffer and the travelling Addicks who showed total respect in both the tribute at 2.30 in the shadow of the great player's statue( yes, there WAS a shadow, as the sun shone brightly whilst the wind whipped around us all) followed by the wreath laying /in stadium service - both appreciated hugely by the Tangerine fans we stood beside. Karl O's grandson in his camel cashmere coat was pointed out to us by some lovely guys in front of us whilst we exchanged tales of woe and wished each other well for the future of our football clubs. But did the Blackpool ground staff use the sprinklers on their pitch that morning remained the BIG question !
And in 3rd place was....drum roll......the Travelodge opposite the stadium where our party of 6 was staying overnight. Decent, clean rooms, well stocked bar - nothing special but good enough for us. When we arrived back after our meal & a few bevvies in town, we were greeted by the sight of , what seemed like hundreds of young girls running around the building , dressed in their onesies /pjs complete with iphones glued to their ears, and constantly raiding the drinks' dispenser for more & more sugary beverages.Meanwhile, accompanying mums, blissfully unaware of their princesses' dubious behaviour, lounged around and raided the once well stocked bar.....Thank feck we were off to our rooms on the 4th floor, we thought....but little did we know!
I have to confess that once MOTD finished around midnight & our weary old 'eads hit the pillow, the Fanackapans were dead to the world.....but on our arrival in Reception for our 10am taxi, we were met by Marilyn with her first words of the day " We're not paying for our rooms !" It appears that whilst we were enjoying our 8 hours of much needed beauty sleep, 3 of our number were pulling out their hair at the ongoing kids' "party" taking place in the corridors outside their rooms and in Oli's case, rampaging in their accommodation above him, causing the ceiling to vibrate ! Our pals had complained at the time and although staff had been very helpful, the noise & disruption continued....It appears that this "sort of thing" does happen at times when Blackpool's apparently famous dance competitions take place with little darlings and their mums arriving in numbers.Len Goodman, Bruno & co have a lot to answer for... In fact, the manager told us that the bar area had still been occupied by some of the mums at 4am this morning !
So, to cut a long story short, the cost of all 5 rooms was refunded without any arguement and we left the premises with smiles on our faces.
Shall we return for the rearranged fixture whenever that's sorted ? If it's in the spring, a midweek break using the car is a possibility with maybe an overnighter somewhere outside town - we'll revisit that nearer the time. Whilst this was a very disappointing and, even with the free accommodation, quite expensive trip, the company of good, likeminded friends is hard to match & we questioned what percentage of our conversations had been Charlton or indeed, football related...possibly 75% ?
And of course, we all look forward to the day when both Duchatelet AND the Oystons leave us in peace to enjoy the complete experience of being supporters and rejoicing in the merits of our beloved football clubs.
It appears that whilst we were enjoying our 8 hours of much needed beauty sleep, 3 of our number were pulling out their hair at the ongoing kids' "party" taking place in the corridors outside their rooms and in Oli's case, rampaging in their accommodation above him, causing the ceiling to vibrate ! Our pals had complained at the time and although staff had been very helpful, the noise & disruption continued....It appears that this "sort of thing" does happen at times when Blackpool's apparently famous dance competitions take place with little darlings and their mums arriving in numbers.Len Goodman, Bruno & co have a lot to answer for... In fact, the manager told us that the bar area had still been occupied by some of the mums at 4am this morning !
I'll be in Blackpool in a couple of weeks time with my 11 year old daughter for a competition-aside from her performance (which will inevitably be exceptional) I wasn't overly looking forward to the weekend, now I'm dreading it!
It appears that whilst we were enjoying our 8 hours of much needed beauty sleep, 3 of our number were pulling out their hair at the ongoing kids' "party" taking place in the corridors outside their rooms and in Oli's case, rampaging in their accommodation above him, causing the ceiling to vibrate ! Our pals had complained at the time and although staff had been very helpful, the noise & disruption continued....It appears that this "sort of thing" does happen at times when Blackpool's apparently famous dance competitions take place with little darlings and their mums arriving in numbers.Len Goodman, Bruno & co have a lot to answer for... In fact, the manager told us that the bar area had still been occupied by some of the mums at 4am this morning !
I'll be in Blackpool in a couple of weeks time with my 11 year old daughter for a competition-aside from her performance (which will inevitably be exceptional) I wasn't overly looking forward to the weekend, now I'm dreading it!
Oh dear ! Me & my big gob !!!
I hope our experience wasn't the norm for such weekends and I'm sure you'll have fun.
It appears that whilst we were enjoying our 8 hours of much needed beauty sleep, 3 of our number were pulling out their hair at the ongoing kids' "party" taking place in the corridors outside their rooms and in Oli's case, rampaging in their accommodation above him, causing the ceiling to vibrate ! Our pals had complained at the time and although staff had been very helpful, the noise & disruption continued....It appears that this "sort of thing" does happen at times when Blackpool's apparently famous dance competitions take place with little darlings and their mums arriving in numbers.Len Goodman, Bruno & co have a lot to answer for... In fact, the manager told us that the bar area had still been occupied by some of the mums at 4am this morning !
I'll be in Blackpool in a couple of weeks time with my 11 year old daughter for a competition-aside from her performance (which will inevitably be exceptional) I wasn't overly looking forward to the weekend, now I'm dreading it!
Oh dear ! Me & my big gob !!!
I hope our experience wasn't the norm for such weekends and I'm sure you'll have fun.
And good luck to your daughter of course.
Only jesting Fanny, at least we know to bring our ear plugs now!
Comments
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One week it's a kick and run pub league, the next the players are all soft prima donnas. It's just something else to whinge about.
Hope you're able to make the best of a bad situation.
Back in and settled after a 14 hour round trip on the dj coach. Had a bite to eat at about 2pm, other than that not much to report
I lost the plot on the coach as we got to about Hemel Hempstead. The incubation of the dj coach became too much and after the driver locked the toilet because someone pissed all over the floor, I yearned for the beacon of the Redbridge roundabout.
Had to stand for the last 10 minutes of the journey as sitting on a coach for that long got to me. Need to take a leaf out of @The31YearMan ‘s book. He was so calm just getting through the lastest chapter in his Railway book, station hotels
I will be at the rearranged game
Well done to all addicks who made it over to the jimmy armfield tribute
Having said all that, I have no idea why the game couldn't go ahead at 4pm or 5pm or even tomorrow. Probably league protocol & maybe the ref doesn't have the authority to sanction something like that. Would be interesting to know.
I feel for all that travelled.
This does remind me of Brighton away at the Goldstone when the puddles were so deep that players sometimes found themselves tackled by the puddles. It made the football difficult but added to the occasion.
Wasn't it at the Hawthorns in the facup when Gordon Watson's shot was stopped on the goal line by a puddle?
Conditions like this are memorable and should go ahead imo.
I have cancelled lots of matches as groundsman in my time but sometimes left it up to the ref and players to decide if they thought it was safe if on the hard side.
On the face of it, perhaps the ref could have taken the players and managers comments into account more than he appears to.
There are related issues with anything more than that though. Stadium staff working longer. Policing would be difficult if KR’s suggestion of playing Sunday was serious. Not that straightforward but certainly a 16:00 kick off should have been an option.
Back this arvo from Blackpool. I've long thought @hertsseasider to be one of the good guys - I can report that all the locals we spoke to are much his equal - a classy bunch who deserve a 1000 per cent better than the pestilence currently infecting their famous old club. One guy told us that the Oystons are desperate not to sell and rather are looking to liquidate any other assets to meet the pressing court demands. The family has just appointed an Oyston grandson (aged 23) to be CEO, and a granddaughter to be a director. For the long-suffering fans and town, this can only be deemed "cruel and unusual punishment".
My only other visit to Bloomfield Road was on Easter Saturday 1968 ( BFC 2-0 CAFC) - it's taken me a half-century to return, just to be thwarted by the elements. It was an honour, though, to be present at the tributes both outside and inside the stadium, and I'm proud that our players, coaches and fans played their respectful part. One way and other a memorable occasion, shared with the stalwart Fanackapan posse.
Disappointingly, the only football we saw was via the big screen in The Litten Tree where we were able to chuckle at Wigan's victory over the Spammers (after witnessing the travelling masses exit our train that morning, tweed caps and all) and, more weirdly, cheer on Pardew's boys in that VAR pantomime at Anfield.
But, there were other winners on the day.....
Top of the list was the Blackpool faithful who put aside their animosity toward the Oystons( spit!) to attend what should have been a very special tribute to Jimmy Armfield & which may even have seen their team taking the 3 points with their fantastic support behind it. However, they did him proud under the circumstances & we were able to enter the ground to stand alongside them to show our solidarity.
Runners up were the Charlton players, their gaffer and the travelling Addicks who showed total respect in both the tribute at 2.30 in the shadow of the great player's statue( yes, there WAS a shadow, as the sun shone brightly whilst the wind whipped around us all) followed by the wreath laying /in stadium service - both appreciated hugely by the Tangerine fans we stood beside. Karl O's grandson in his camel cashmere coat was pointed out to us by some lovely guys in front of us whilst we exchanged tales of woe and wished each other well for the future of our football clubs. But did the Blackpool ground staff use the sprinklers on their pitch that morning remained the BIG question !
And in 3rd place was....drum roll......the Travelodge opposite the stadium where our party of 6 was staying overnight. Decent, clean rooms, well stocked bar - nothing special but good enough for us. When we arrived back after our meal & a few bevvies in town, we were greeted by the sight of , what seemed like hundreds of young girls running around the building , dressed in their onesies /pjs complete with iphones glued to their ears, and constantly raiding the drinks' dispenser for more & more sugary beverages.Meanwhile, accompanying mums, blissfully unaware of their princesses' dubious behaviour, lounged around and raided the once well stocked bar.....Thank feck we were off to our rooms on the 4th floor, we thought....but little did we know!
I have to confess that once MOTD finished around midnight & our weary old 'eads hit the pillow, the Fanackapans were dead to the world.....but on our arrival in Reception for our 10am taxi, we were met by Marilyn with her first words of the day " We're not paying for our rooms !" It appears that whilst we were enjoying our 8 hours of much needed beauty sleep, 3 of our number were pulling out their hair at the ongoing kids' "party" taking place in the corridors outside their rooms and in Oli's case, rampaging in their accommodation above him, causing the ceiling to vibrate ! Our pals had complained at the time and although staff had been very helpful, the noise & disruption continued....It appears that this "sort of thing" does happen at times when Blackpool's apparently famous dance competitions take place with little darlings and their mums arriving in numbers.Len Goodman, Bruno & co have a lot to answer for... In fact, the manager told us that the bar area had still been occupied by some of the mums at 4am this morning !
So, to cut a long story short, the cost of all 5 rooms was refunded without any arguement and we left the premises with smiles on our faces.
Shall we return for the rearranged fixture whenever that's sorted ? If it's in the spring, a midweek break using the car is a possibility with maybe an overnighter somewhere outside town - we'll revisit that nearer the time. Whilst this was a very disappointing and, even with the free accommodation, quite expensive trip, the company of good, likeminded friends is hard to match & we questioned what percentage of our conversations had been Charlton or indeed, football related...possibly 75% ?
And of course, we all look forward to the day when both Duchatelet AND the Oystons leave us in peace to enjoy the complete experience of being supporters and rejoicing in the merits of our beloved football clubs.
That day can't come too soon.
PS - after our walk on the Fylde side we saw some Sutton fans on the train this morning. They had gone all the way to Barrow for nothing!
I hope our experience wasn't the norm for such weekends and I'm sure you'll have fun.
And good luck to your daughter of course.