Rage Online

I can't think of any game I've ever heard of being called off for a waterlogged pitch after only nine minutes. What happened?

It was monsoon style. The ball just didn't move.

Presumably it didn't start at three, though, did it? Why did the ref begin the game?

Edited to add:

On a completely different forum, an Aldershot fan writes:

I was there and I was shocked that the ref even started. It rained the night before and then heavy rain started about half 1. Conditions were terrible and the centre circle was just a big puddle and any time the ball came down onto the pitch there'd just be a big splash. It was obvious that the pitch was not playable when the teams were warming up. The only real reason we started was to take some gate money presumably... I believe clubs do not have an obligation to refund in full ticket holders for games if the match is abandoned, but they do if it is postponed.

I've replied to the effect that I understand the decision to start is the ref's rather than the club's...

Can't comment on this one, but the Oxford City game on Saturday was called off because at half-time the heavens opened with a downpour of 'biblical preportions' (according to my dad who was there) flooding the pitch really quickly. A pitch that was perfectly playable when the teams came off at half-time was flooded before they could get out for the second half.

Also the Oxford United - Oxford City friendly in the summer was postponed due to an amazing storm about half an hour before kick-off which converted a bone-dry pitch into a lake in the space of about 15mins. I can still see a drenched Boris running for the clubhouse now!

&quotPeña Oxford United&quot wrote:Presumably it didn't start at three, though, did it? Why did the ref begin the game?

Why wouldn't it? I was shocked that the game went ahead, wasn't expecting the ref to call it off after it began though.