Tony Incenzo: What Can We Do About Postponements?

THERE have been some incredibly late football postponements over the past few days amidst frosty conditions. 

Many fixtures were called off literally minutes before the scheduled kick-offs. In addition, Chelsea Women did actually begin their match against Liverpool before it was abandoned after only six minutes

Having personally checked the weather forecasts, it was patently obvious in advance these games didn’t stand a chance of taking place or being completed. 

Another difficulty is that matches are called off far too easily in the modern era. Going back to when I was a kid in the 1970’s, games regularly took place on total mud-heaps. 

Places like Chelsea, Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United in the old First Division had muck and grime playing surfaces but everyone simply got on with it.

The same readily applied in Non-League football circles. And if there was snow, an orange football was deployed!

Thankfully, modern technological developments mean football pitch maintenance has almost become a science.

Those muddy arenas are mostly a thing of the past. But it seems standards have progressed so much that fixtures are currently being postponed due to the slightest imperfections. 

Let me give you an example. I drove four and a half hours to a Non-League venue to watch a cup tie having been repeatedly assured it would definitely go ahead. No early inspection was needed. The away team and their supporters made a similar journey which amounted to around 200 miles each way. 

Anyway, the pitch looked in good nick to me when I arrived with an hour to spare. However it was called off shortly afterwards as the matchday referee wasn’t happy with a small section of one goalmouth. 

I don’t want to name the home club or the referee. I certainly won’t attribute blame to anyone as I unequivocally promote football in a positive light. Nevertheless I just think the situation could have been avoided. 

None of this is fair on spectators who may have taken time off work and travelled long distances at great personal expense during the current cost of living crisis. Therefore I believe new guidelines are needed for cases of inclement weather.

My suggestions are as follows:

  • In times of bad weather, an advance inspection must take place by a qualified referee before the away team and supporters set off.

  • This assessment should also fully take into account the weather forecast.

  • If there is any uncertainty whatsoever about the game taking place, call it off there and then.

  • No postponement should be authorised beyond this cut-off point unless there is a HUGE deterioration in the pitch which wasn’t envisaged by the earlier weather forecast.

Now I know referees will say they cannot postpone a game based on a weather forecast. They will also state their main concern is the safety of players and this may lead to late postponements.

So I feel the guidance needs to be changed to assist match officials and everyone else involved. 

A few leagues are already active in this respect. They sensibly permit their clubs to postpone fixtures without bringing in a referee when the conditions are really bad. 

For example, I spoke to South West Peninsula League secretary Phil Hiscox this week and he told me: “We have a severe weather protocol that allows the league to authorise postponements the day before games without need for a referee’s inspection. 

“The protocol is triggered if we have… (1) Met Office severe weather warnings in place…(2) UK Highways or police advice against unnecessary journeys…(3) The prevailing weather is so bad that it is obvious.” 

Maximum respect to the SWPL for helping their clubs, players, referees and supporters in this way. It is an understanding approach which should be adopted across the country.

To conclude, my message to the football world is…if there is any doubt, call the matches off early! They can be rearranged for later in the season.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 26th January 2023

January 26, 2023
Football

By Tony Incenzo

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    Tony is an experienced football broadcaster who has worked for Clubcall, Capital Gold, IRN Sport, talkSPORT Radio and Sky TV. 

    His devotion to Queens Park Rangers saw him reach 50 years without missing a home game in April 2023.

    Tony is also a Non-League football expert having visited more than 2,500 different football grounds in his matchday groundhopping.

    You can follow Tony on Twitter at @TonyIncenzo.

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    Jason Bell NFL Blog: Purdy Has Done Enough To Be 49ers Starter Next Season

    Former NFL star Jason Bell provides his thoughts on the latest events in the National Football League as we the race to reach the Super Bowl goes up another notch...

    Burrow and Allen both have great futures

    Joe Burrow might have got the better of Josh Allen last weekend, but both still have great futures and will have very successful careers in the NFL.

    What I do think is fair that while Patrick Mahomes is number one, few cannot say that Joe Burrow isn’t a fair pick at number two.

    I thought Allen was the slightly superior before this season, but Burrow’s performances have just nudged him ahead in my opinion. 

    Prescott can win a Super Bowl with the Cowboys but he needs help

    The 49ers got the better of the Cowboys and while Dak Prescott was disappointing again, I do think he’s a quarterback that can win them a Super Bowl.

    They’ve got to build a better roster, though, particularly on offence as in reality he only really had two guys that can make those big plays.

    CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard are seriously dangerous, but if you compare them with the number of playmakers that the 49ers have it’s a bit of a mismatch.

    Brock Purdy has been fantastic, but he’s got so many offensive weapons that it does make his life easier and I think if Prescott and the Cowboys are to be successful they need to build a similar team.

    Purdy starts for San Francisco next season

    Brock Purdy has definitely proven that he’s going to be the 49ers quarterback at the start of next season.

    There’s no getting away from the fact he has one of the best offensive rosters in the NFL, however he’s shown in his short NFL career so far that he has the skillset to execute and be effective with the players he has at his disposal.

    It shows that you just never know when you’re going to get a chance in the NFL and when it comes you’ve got to take it.

    This guy is really good and he’s taking advantage of his situation the same way Tom Brady did all those years ago. We could be talking about Purdy for years to come, just like we are with Brady.

    He has all the tools to be really really good in this league.

    Mahomes the only option for the Chiefs regardless of his injury

    He might be banged up but Patrick Mahomes is the best option Kansas City have by a country mile.

    I think he’ll be fine at the start of the game and he should be able to throw the ball, but what I’m interested to see is what happens down the stretch – does the ankle hold up under pressure?

    It remains to be seen if he can run the ball, but even on one leg, he’s still one of the best quarterbacks around. If he has a good game, the Chiefs will have a good one, it’s as simple as that. 

    Bengals performances amazing

    I think all four remaining teams are worthy of their place in the Conference games, but I must admit to being particularly impressed by what Cincinnati has done.

    They’ve played so much football over the past two years having got to the Super Bowl in 2022, so to be close to being there again is really impressive. 

    They had a very rocky start, so to have come back from that as well as that Super Bowl hangover is a great credit to them as well as the staff. 

    Chiefs still my pick, just

    This is one of the most open years ever so picking a Super Bowl winner is really tough, but I’m just about sticking with the Chiefs as they’ve been the side I’ve liked from the start.

    The Mahomes injury is a worry, but if anyone can figure it out despite that, it’s him. 

    I think they’ll probably take on the Eagles in the Super Bowl as while I have huge respect for the 49ers, homefield advantage might just be the difference maker.

     

    January 25, 2023
    NFL
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    Former NFL star Jason Bell has a wealth of American football experience, playing in 82 regular season games during his time in the league.

    Now making regular television appearances at NFL events in the UK, Bell is one of the best pundits on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

    The former Houston Texans cornerback will provide his expert insight into the latest news and upcoming games throughout the 2023 NFL season.

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    Most Annoying Football Chants On The Terraces

    Every Saturday afternoon, across the land, football terraces reverberate with song. Some are funny. Others are designed to inspire the eleven players who carry our hopes and dreams.

    Then there are these chants. In the great footballing songbook, these are our Nickelback.  

    Oh when the Spurs…

    When The Saints Go Marching In has a rich and storied past, beginning its life as a Christian hymn before becoming a jazz staple, covered by all the greats.

    In the Fifties this up-tempo, up-lifting number made a natural switch to the sporting arena, adopted by Southampton because of their nickname, though there is earlier evidence of Tottenham singing it, changing ‘saints’ to ‘stripes’. 

    If that gives the North London giants some sort of proprietorship of the song what they’ve done with it since is little short of abhorrent, slowing down the words to a droning dirge that evokes a record player on the wrong speed. 

    Thankfully, all of the football bet tips suggest it’s not going to pollute the air at Wembley anytime soon. 

    Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea 

    See also Everton, Everton, Everton and Villa, Villa, Villa.

    Chanting your club’s name unaccompanied by any lofty claims at being the best team in the land and all the world is as stripped back and tribal as it gets. And frankly, we’re all here for that. 

    https://www.888sport.com/blog/football-prediction

    A crucial caveat however is that it must be sung in short bursts.

    Chelsea are unquestionably the worst offenders at purposely prolonging the chant, sometimes for nearly an entire half, and inevitably it burrows deep into the senses, setting them on edge. This is clearly the intention.

    The footballing equivalent of someone flicking your ear over and over again. 

    Where were you…

    …,when you were rubbish? Or words to that effect.  

    With a select few lucky clubs benefitting from heavy investment that has seen them rocket among the elite – or to use shorthand, Manchester City – the charge here is that the fans are glory-hunters. As jibes go, it aims for just under the skin.

    A problem arises however when it’s sung at away supporters, who have travelled hundreds of miles, paying extortionate train fares, despite the game being on Sky. 

    A further undermining flaw is that when City were indeed rubbish, they averaged 28,000 in the third tier. 

    The latest sports betting suggests the Blues might win a fifth league title in six years. They don’t appear to be unduly bothered by a chant that contradicts itself.

    Stand up if you hate

    There you are, on a freezing February day, hoping that if you sit still enough the cold might get bored and leave you alone.

    Then at the far end of your row a fellow fan stands and declares they hate your main rivals. Good for him. Only he’s not content with that.

    This perfect stranger demands that everyone else gets up and declares their hatred too. This is how cults start. 

    U-N-I-T-E-D

    Old-school chants are always welcomed but perhaps it’s time to return the nursery rhymes back to the Seventies? Maybe we should acknowledge that as a society we’ve since evolved?

    The third line of this well-established Manchester United chant is ‘With a knick knack paddy whack, give a dog a bone’.

    This is sung by grown-ups, who have children and mortgages and responsibilities. Please stop.

    *Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

     

    FIRST PUBLISHED: 24th January 2023

    January 25, 2023
    Football

    By Stephen Tudor

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    Stephen Tudor is a freelance football writer and sports enthusiast who only knows slightly less about the beautiful game than you do.

    A contributor to FourFourTwo and Forbes, he is a Manchester City fan who was taken to Maine Road as a child because his grandad predicted they would one day be good.

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    Fabrizio Romano: More Everton Misery As Tottenham Swoop For Arnaut Danjuma

    Another incredible hijack in the January transfer market. When no one expected it, the Dutch winger Danjuma will sign as a new Tottenham player after a crazy story.

    Yes, because Danjuma had been considered for sale by Villarreal for days given that his situation within the club had become more complicated; not surprisingly, the former Bournemouth player had flown to England a week ago together with his agent to negotiate with many English clubs interested in a possible loan move for Danjuma in January.

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    Thus, was born a deal that tempted many clubs, starting with Bournemouth itself which about 7 days ago felt close to the possibility of bringing Danjuma back to the Premier League with the same shirt with which he was sold to Villarreal.

    Despite an important offer, Bournemouth have failed to reach a definitive agreement with Danjuma and with Villarreal; negotiations continued, meetings continued with Olympique Marseille and PSV Eindhoven interested in a possible negotiation which did not lead to an agreement.

    Here Everton appeared at a crucial moment: given the many difficulties of this season, Frank Lampard had asked for at least one new winger and was personally committed to bringing Danjuma to Everton as a player useful for changing the situation and giving new solutions in a very complex moment.

    The negotiation was not easy but after 48 hours of discussions, last Friday night Danjuma accepted Everton's offer: straight loan until the end of the season, no buy option clause included but the possibility of discussing his future in June.

    With great enthusiasm, Danjuma gives his green light and on Saturday he completes all medical tests as a new Everton player.

    On Sunday, the club prepares paperwork with Villarreal and the player's contract in order to get everything done and sealed between Monday and Tuesday. A plan that is suddenly interrupted ... by Fabio Paratici.

    After an internal meeting, the director of Tottenham decides to take action in the night between Monday and Tuesday to understand if Danjuma can still be available after having done all the medical tests with Everton.

    The answer is... yes, because the contracts had to be signed on Tuesday with even media and official pictures already done but there were no signed or registered documents.

    Tottenham move quickly: contact with the player for feedback on a possible hijack is immediately positive, Spurs understand that they can really enter the race and - key factor - they also have an excellent relationship with Villarreal thanks to Gio Lo Celso deal.

    Fabio Paratici reaches an agreement with the Spanish club for a loan deal, same as Everton; the surprise player no longer signs with the Toffees but chooses to travel to London to accept Tottenham's offer in the afternoon and prepare for medical examinations in the following 24 hours.

    Everton's shock is total: despite Fire Lampard's decision, everyone within the club even on Monday night thought that Danjuma would play at Goodison Park for the second half of the season.

    But Tottenham changed this story in 17 hours. Another incredible hijack.

    January 25, 2023
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    Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

     

    He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

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