Well Inverness folks - what are the chances of this game being called off?

Obviously a lot of money goes through Strathy. They have two treasurers. Marty and Mags Clark.

Johnboy, it was also a perfect day in Perth at 11.45 yesterday for a game of football. Unfortunately one small area of the pitch was still hard.

People will always be p'd off regardless of when a decision is made but we live in Scotland. We should expect these things to happen. The forecasters all predicted overnight temps of -3 for Inverness. They actually predicted -1 for Perth. I believe Perth dropped to around -7 and Inverness about the same. If the forecasters cant predict whats going to happen then what chance does anyone have of preparing. Had the club known the weather in advance then maybe they could have done more but as it is sh!t happens.

Not sure if I heard right but were they saying that the St Johnstone game off partly due to human error.

Apparantly an area of the pitch was not affected by USH. Not sure what type they have but if its heat pads then thats possible. One zone of pads may have fused or some such thing.

I appreciate USH is very expensive to run so can I suggest 2 further alternatives in order to avoid this type of farce and inconvenience to travelling supporters and teams?

Firstly, the Board should hold a meeting on the pitch. The hot air generated should thaw the ground in no time.

Secondly, they could invest in some insulating covering for the pitch. This should be easy to acheive as they seem to be good at cover ups.

If the game was called off on friday there'd be folks moaning. If it was called off early saturday there'd be folks moaning. If they waited till half hour before k.o. there'd be folks moaning. But lets blame the board, the staff, the groundsman, the players. But for christ sake don't blame the weather.

Alex.... I've now heard from an impeccable source that the pitch was 100% playable by 1pm on Saturday.

Apart from the fact that for no good reason, around 3000 folk were denied the opportunity of an afternoon's sporting entertainment, this postponement could very well have a damaging effect on the wee bit of momentum that the team has recently built up in the league.

The costs and the inconvenience suffered by all who were making there way to Inverness on Saturday is just not acceptable.

Surely someone should be called to account for quite unneccessarily calling the game off at around 11.45am on Saturday morning?

There's two things that niggle about this.

First one is why the pitch wasn't inspected earlier, and if it was, why the decision wasn't made then.

Second one is that as the QotS fans would have been most of the way up the road by the time the decision was made, then might it have been acceptable to delay the final decision another hour on the advice of the groundsman who, let's face it, is best placed to know the likelihood of it being thawed in time for kick off?

What can't be established from the verifiable information at hand is whether or not ICT requested an earlier inspection and if so why it never happened, whether their was an earlier inspection and no decision was made or if it's all just one big screw up.

One thing I do find strange is the fact that QotS were (allegedly) not overly upset by the call off and had they been keener to get the game played then it's possible the Ref would have given the pitch another hour before making his final call.

It would be sods law that a player or official falls on a hard patch and ends up injured. Just like a lot of other areas of life here, it's safety first. Still disappointed I missed the game.

There's two things that niggle about this.

First one is why the pitch wasn't inspected earlier, and if it was, why the decision wasn't made then.

Second one is that as the QotS fans would have been most of the way up the road by the time the decision was made, then might it have been acceptable to delay the final decision another hour on the advice of the groundsman who, let's face it, is best placed to know the likelihood of it being thawed in time for kick off?

What can't be established from the verifiable information at hand is whether or not ICT requested an earlier inspection and if so why it never happened, whether their was an earlier inspection and no decision was made or if it's all just one big screw up.

One thing I do find strange is the fact that QotS were (allegedly) not overly upset by the call off and had they been keener to get the game played then it's possible the Ref would have given the pitch another hour before making his final call.

Really ?

http://www.qosfc.com/HeadlineNews/ViewFull...36/Default.aspx

I am sorry, but I agree with CB, he imparted the info based on facts gained over a number of days after speaking to various people and even attending the early pitch inspection on Saturday. He said the facts as he was told, if you are not satisfied by his lucid/ honest posts, WHY? do various people continually, have a pop at him.

Sometimes I honestly feel people get a kick out of shooting people down and it is becoming more prevalent recently.

Why can't people be more positive????

Stay on Memories Charles at least there you are appreciated , by me at least!!

If the game was called off on friday there'd be folks moaning. If it was called off early saturday there'd be folks moaning. If they waited till half hour before k.o. there'd be folks moaning. But lets blame the board, the staff, the groundsman, the players. But for christ sake don't blame the weather.

Alex.... I've now heard from an impeccable source that the pitch was 100% playable by 1pm on Saturday.

Apart from the fact that for no good reason, around 3000 folk were denied the opportunity of an afternoon's sporting entertainment, this postponement could very well have a damaging effect on the wee bit of momentum that the team has recently built up in the league.

The costs and the inconvenience suffered by all who were making there way to Inverness on Saturday is just not acceptable.

Surely someone should be called to account for quite unneccessarily calling the game off at around 11.45am on Saturday morning?

I aree with all you say John but the fact is that a representative of the SFA (referee) called the game off. Not the board, the club, QoS or anyone else. Maybe everyone should bombard the SFA with complaints. I was one of those making my way up the road and I'm as p'd off as everyone else but call offs are a fact of football not a fault of the club. With one SPL game, three div 1 games, all of div 2, 1 in div 3 and all bar 1 of the Highland League off there's a lot of pissed off people in the country but they all accept it.

I aree with all you say John but the fact is that a representative of the SFA (referee) called the game off. Not the board, the club, QoS or anyone else. Maybe everyone should bombard the SFA with complaints. I was one of those making my way up the road and I'm as p'd off as everyone else but call offs are a fact of football not a fault of the club. With one SPL game, three div 1 games, all of div 2, 1 in div 3 and all bar 1 of the Highland League off there's a lot of pissed off people in the country but they all accept it.

I'm not blaming the club, Alex. My understanding is that the Tommy and the club assured the ref that the pitch would be perfectly playable by 1pm. By all accounts they were absolutely right about that, and there was no reason why the game couldn't have played.

Unfortunately Herr Hitler thought otherwise.

Edited February 22, 201016 yr by Johnboy

Herr Hitler being who? or is that another Pop?

Its a brave ref who inspects a pich which is unplayable but announces "game on" on the basis that it might improve sufficiently in the next few hours.

There's two things that niggle about this.

One thing I do find strange is the fact that QotS were (allegedly) not overly upset by the call off and had they been keener to get the game played then it's possible the Ref would have given the pitch another hour before making his final call.

Really ?

http://www.qosfc.com/HeadlineNews/ViewFull...36/Default.aspx

Really: http://caleythistleonline.com/news/footbal...s-press-release

I too have heard the story - and not from CaleyD - that the QOS manager was allegedly none too concerned at the game being called off, it was Mr Butcher and ICT officials who were trying like blazes to get it played. For once, I believe our board and our club as the same information trickled across to me from several independent - and reliable - sources throughout the course of Saturday.

Really: http://caleythistleonline.com/news/footbal...s-press-release

Nice one.. when did cto start getting press releases?? Quality ;)

Nice one.. when did cto start getting press releases?? Quality ;)

we used to get them in the past, had a lull when we had a chief executive but get them again now that Darren is in charge.

What a complete and utter all round farce made even worse when I have just heard that the groundsman supposedly advised that the USH should have been switched on on Thurdsay evening or the game would be called off.

What a complete and utter all round farce made even worse when I have just heard that the groundsman supposedly advised that the USH should have been switched on on Thurdsay evening or the game would be called off.

Even though the position seems to be that the pitch was playable!

This seems to be the biggets "he said, she said" thread we have had for a long time. :021:

can we not just leave it as the weather wasnt as previously predicted and was colder than the USH could manage. That way everyone keeps face, except for the ref for not bothering to get up for the 09:30 pitch inspection as he "couldnt be bothered" and decided to get up here at 11:00. Will we get the usual from these southern refs of "Inverness is sooo far away to make a 09:30 pitch inspection" crap.

So to summarise the facts and rumours ........

Thursday - Tommy says turn on the heating, it is not done and the club save a few quid. I find this plausible but bottom line, in the SFL the club are not obliged to have or use USH.

Friday - It has been really cold overnight, in fact so cold that the decision to not turn on the USH has proved to be the correct one as at such a low temperature it would have had little or no effect and would have been tantamount to sitting in the centre circle setting fire to a bunch of tenners ! However, feeling how cold it is now, the chairman (board?) decide to have the USH switched on between now and kick-off more than 27 hours later (at an average cot of ?80 p/hour that is just over ?2.1K). By late afternoon, the groundsman (Tommy), acknowledged as one of the best in the country, says its starting to look like it may be playable barring any more severe weather. The heating is left on.

Saturday - The heating has been on all night but with a surface temperature of -2 all of the frost is not going away and the ground is still hard. A 9AM inspection does not take place due to a communication issue between SFL, match referee and a local referee but the 11:30 inspection by match referee does take place. After a long inspection, he reluctantly calls the game off. At this time it is alleged that QOS were not too concerned at all, but that ICT, the groundsman, and the manager were confident the game would be able to go ahead if the ref agreed to a further inspection an hour later. That request was denied. game off.

Saturday - aftermath - Chic Young spouts a load of guff on RS to try and stir the pot, blows enough hot air in fact that it would have made the pitch playable in just a few minutes if he had been brought in to commentate. His esteemed colleague Mr Bannerman, who had been onsite since prior to the pitch inspection refutes many if not all of his allegations in a posting on here. The QOS manager who has been witnessed to have not been concerned at the call off, in fact some might say even 'welcoming' of it also starts trying to make himself look good in the eyes of his own fans by blaming ICT for not doing enough to make it go ahead on QOS websites.

Monday - ICT issue a press release questioning the comments of the QOS manager.

bottom line, we turned up the heating, we didnt have to. The pitch was perfect by 3pm but the ref wouldnt wait past 11:30 to call the game off ..... short of turning the heating on a day earlier (which at -8 overnight would have had no effect) we are not at fault for this. Gordon Chisholm can blame who he likes but his blustering comments to curry favour with his own fans are worthy of a Jimmy Calderwwod mind game award and contrary to the actions witnessed by many on the day of the game.

Good post Scotty. Was fuming listening to Chic Young on saturday night sprouting rubbish and Gordon Chisholm is just at it.

Why on Earth would QOTS have wanted the game cancelled ?

Why on Earth would QOTS have wanted the game cancelled ?

Goes to show atleast we put the fear into one team in this division! :021:

QotS were carrying a couple of injured players....but not so much that I would have thought they would want all this hassle.

Why on Earth would QOTS have wanted the game cancelled ?

injuries perhaps? We know Lilley was out but perhaps there were one or two more who were doubtful that we were not aware of (especially on a 'hard' pitch)?

All I am saying, as witnessed by a number of people who started to arrive at the ground either to work or to cover the game for the media, is that the QOS boss did not appear to be that perturbed that the game was called off after the inspection. In fact, he appeared to be dead set against the ICT suggestion of waiting for a further inspection closer to kick-off when the game might realistically have gone ahead. The 'real' reason for his stance is perhaps only known to Mr Chisholm but to come out on the QOS website and spout an opinion that was diametrically opposite to his actions is complete bullshit.

We are great at blaming ICT for things, and they give us no end of opportunities to do so but on this one they are not at fault and the crap spouted by Chic Young and then Gordon Chisolm is unwarranted and unprofessional.

Some of you may remember that this was the game that I was hoping to see - having travelled from Wales [via a bit of skiing in the Cairngorms!]. So you can imagine how terrible I felt as I heard the bad news on Radio Scotland as I drove up towards Inverness. But I carried on with the family and made it to the stadium - and to the shop before it closed to buy a programme and a mug - unfortunately the mugs had all been sold - but the very kind lady in the shop gave me a used mug so that I could have a memory of our visit. While I was there I also met a man and his son who'd travelled up from London to see the game too !!

As I made my way back to the car - I mentioned that we'd come from Wales for the match and another very kind lady from the club gave my family and I a quick tour of the stadium - which even my wife and daughter enjoyed immensely ! We're all fans of ICT after that !! And I'll do my best to try and come back sometime in the future !

We were there at about 1pm - and as we were looking at the pitch - the sun was shining and the pitch looked perfect apart from about 8 yards under the shadow of the stand to the left of the main stand. I obviously didn't get to inspect the pitch properly so I cannot say how hard the ground was - but it was disappointing to say the least.

For your information - my family and I decided to travel back via Loch Ness and Glen Coe - and stayed the night in Dumfries. On Sunday morning we went to see Palmerston - but it was not a patch on your stadium !!

Thanks for the "warm" welcome from 5 new Caley Thistle fans !! Diolch yn fawr !

Welsh Ref, Pontypridd, Wales.

I carried on with the family and made it to the stadium - and to the shop before it closed to buy a programme and a mug - unfortunately the mugs had all been sold - but the very kind lady in the shop gave me a used mug so that I could have a memory of our visit.

As I made my way back to the car - I mentioned that we'd come from Wales for the match and another very kind lady from the club gave my family and I a quick tour of the stadium - which even my wife and daughter enjoyed immensely ! We're all fans of ICT after that !! And I'll do my best to try and come back sometime in the future !

now that is customer service !!! well done to the 'ladies' :025: :025: (although I hope the mug was washed before you got it)