ფულჰემი - ბლექბერნი (გადაიდო)
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The Referee's Ruling Saturday 10th January 2009
Speaking from Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, referee Rob Styles explained why he was given no option but to call off Fulham’s game against Blackburn Rovers.
“Player safety is the uppermost consideration in my mind and the minds of the managers,” he said. “Nobody wants to see a player get injured in any way and parts of the field are a clear danger to players.
“I had a phone call from Fulham to say that they were taking the covers off and they had some concerns. I got here and had a good walk around; I’ve got every sympathy for them, 98% of the field is playable but parts of it are unplayable and the weather is not getting any better.
“It’s getting colder and it’s going to freeze so you’ve got to think about later on this afternoon as well.
“If the field of play is not fit, if there is a danger to players - then we cannot play the game.”
Roy's Reaction Saturday 10th January 2009
The freezing weather conditions by the Thames added Fulham’s fixture against Blackburn Rovers to the list of matches postponed on Saturday.
Despite having the pitch covered for most of the fortnight leading up to the match, there was little that could be done to prevent the surface from succumbing to the icy conditions.
Speaking after referee Rob Styles called the game off, Fulham Manager, Roy Hodgson gave his reaction.
“One’s always disappointed because you prepare and look forward to the game but you have to respect the referee’s decision on these matters,” he said. “It’s not easy for people to say whether the pitch is playable or not, but basically the referee is paid to make that decision.
“In his opinion, especially with the cold weather continuing, he thought that there was an element of danger and that it was better to call the game off.”
Allardyce Agrees Saturday 10th January 2009
Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce was clearly disappointed at the decision to call off Saturday’s match between Fulham and Blackburn Rovers.
However, with referee Rob Styles deeming the pitch unplayable and “iron-hard” in places, Allardyce, upon inspecting the pitch himself, was in full agreement with the official.
“We’re extremely disappointed,” he said. “We were on the coach about 15 minutes away when we heard the news. There was a nice feel around the players today – we were looking confident and we’ve had a good week of preparation.
“Unfortunately since the covers came off, the pitch has now become unplayable. The safety of the players is always the most important thing I have to agree with Rob Styles – he is 100% correct in calling the game off. Had we tried to play this game the conditions would only have deteriorated.”
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ფულჰემი, Fulham
