Fans ire over late match call-off

FORRES Mechanics fans, players and coaching staff were equally frustrated when the game against Deveronvale was called off just fifteen minutes before the scheduled kick off. While Charlie Rowley refrained from having a go at the referee he did question the process that lead to the late call off.

“First and foremost we respect the referees decision but what I am not pleased about was the timing,” he said. “One official referee deemed that the pitch was playable at 9.30am, and based on the accounts of some trusted people it was a lot better at 2.30pm than it was earlier in the morning. “

“So we are disappointed by the timing and the fact that two respected officials have differing opinions,” he added. “Both teams wanted to play, everyone was stripped and the warm ups were almost complete. Some of the crowd were in the ground and I feel he could have been sympathetic to that.”

“He had been there for near on 45 minutes and even an hour earlier might have taken the edge off the frustrations. Yes there were areas that were soft but I feel that the game could have been played but again it is the referee who makes the decision and we have to respect that, but in the future if it is going to be an Inverness referee in charge of the match and there is a doubt then maybe he should be invited through to do the inspection earlier in the day.”

The fans were not as easily placated with a social media storm seeing players, fans and former match officials putting their tuppenceworth in via the Forres Mechanics Facebook page.

Mechanics defender Simon Allan said, “Should never have been given the go ahead, pitch was terrible. I feel sorry for the fans that wasted time and money, pitch would have been a mess after 5 minutes and it wouldn’t have been a game of football it would have been mud wrestling. Bits on edge of box were covering my boots when you walked on it.”

Meanwhile former Can Cans winger Frani More had a different opinion, “Did you nae want your boots to get dirty Si? The pitch wasn’t bad enough to call game off played in plenty of games where pitch has been ten times worse and am sure there was games played on other pitches the day that was far worse .A lot of money wasted by supporters travelling to the game.”

Many fans from both sides were upset by the costs they had incurred in travelling to the game. Irate Vale fan David Stewart said “Forres should pay for buses for the Vale fans a gesture and reduce the admission fees for both sets of fans in the rearranged game. Meanwhile Can Can fan Richie Macnish was similarly put out. “People had come from as far as Inverurie and Aberdeen to support Forres believing the game would be on. That’s twice this season so far. Christopher Davidson agreed with Charlie Rowley re the refs inspection time “It’s the refs fault because the game was called off at 2:50. 12 o’clock would have been ideal for players and fans too have saved us travelling

Former referee Derek Clark came to the defence of the whistle, “Graham Fraser has only one concern, the safety of all players.

“He gains absolutely nothing by calling the fixture off so late apart from a load of negative comments about his decision. It doesn’t matter whether the players all wanted the match played, only one person would have got the blame had the ball stuck in a soft patch and a player was late into a challenge and someone suffered a broken leg - The ref.

“Bottom line is, no points lost or gained by anyone, some people have been inconvenienced, but everyone will go to their work on Monday and be fit to play next week!”