What a waste of time

[bmcg]

There was a pitch inspection at Pontardawe on Saturday morning before the Welsh Cup match with Ton Pentre and the match was given the go-ahead. So after the biggest part of an hour's car journey from Ton Pentre I arrived at the Pontardawe ground in plenty of time for a 2.00pm kick-off, only to find that the match referee had declared the ground unfit and the match was OFF! I understand that there had been no rain in the intervening period. Perhaps someone can tell me what time the ref inspected the pitch and also what time the Ton Pentre secretary was informed?

For the record, I'm just a Ton Pentre supporter not a committee man.

[onlooker]

I was with Pontardawe reserves at afan lido saturday. The referee called in in the morning passed the pitch ok. the match referee called it off at about 1.20pm. Both teams were there and what I was told so were the Ton committee. The first the Ton sec knew about it was when he arrived at ground. There was no need to contact him at all as pitch had been passed playable

[Lee Robson]

We were in the opposite situation. Newbridge were giving us a heads up at 7pm on Friday that it was doubtful. They were going to call it at 8am. but I asked them to delay as long as possible. They gave the nod anyway at 10am. To be honest I would have travelled and let the ref call it at 2pm.

[bmcg]

I don't follow you onlooker when you say "There was no need to contact him at all as the pitch had been passed playable." The match referee had called the game off! You are right when you say Ton's secretary didn't know the game was off until he arrived at the ground at about 1.40pm. Isn't the first point of contact the club secretary when matches are called off, if only out of courtesy?

[onlooker]

As I stated the match referee called the game off at about 1.20pm. I would assume the ton sec was contacted in morning to say pitch was playable so ton travelled

[onlooker]

maybe I should point out the pitch was passed playable about 10am by a well estabblished referee not the match referee

[scril]

We left for Pontardawe at 1245, after being told that the match was ON. When we arrived at about 1 45 it was obvious that the match was off, no comunication from Pontardawe at all, and nobody at the ground, what is the use of giving mobile numbers out if they are not used.we arrived back at our clubhouse at about 2 45. Still no message that the game was called off. We phoned Pontardawe at about 3.30 and was then(and only then) told officially that the game was OFF. As this pitch is renowned for its instability, I hope that when we have to go down again next week , that better comunication is practised. Welsh Cup rules state that the match referee must be at the ground 2 hours prior to KO, if he did then he took 1hr and 20 minutes to inspect the pitch and declared it unfit. unbelievable!!

[KingsleyLloyd]

what is acceptable for one referee doesn't always mirror the opinion/decision of another referee. We had last week's game at home to Pontypridd cprenounced playable by a more local Welsh League referee than the Merthyr based match referee.
With both teams stripped and ready for action the match referee refused to play it. We did everything by the book yet there was no game, wasted food in the club shop and the referee wanted his fee too.
This weekend our reserve team played on the pitch and it was arguably in a poorer condition than the Ponty game. No problems either...

[dannyg]

Luckily our pitch at Pontypridd was okay last Saturday as the match referee didn't arrive until 15 minutes before kick off!!!!!