It’s always a pain when a game gets called off.
One free Saturday is a bit of a novelty during the nine-month grind of the football season.
Any more than that, though, and I find myself tearing my hair out – well, what’s left of it.
However bad some games may seem at the time, they ALWAYS beat being dragged round Morrisons …
City have had a stop-start time of it in the last month with three free weekends out of five; Rochdale being the latest casualty.
But if that was bugging, spare a thought for those who follow Brentford.
Their game at Accrington was another victim of the January monsoon. But it was not called off until just before 2pm – having passed an earlier pitch inspection.
A league referee had given it the go-ahead at 10am so the travelling fans set off from London in good faith that they would see some
football, especially as
the weather reports were positive.
No more rain fell in the four hours between pitch checks yet the proper match official decided it was too dodgy to guarantee player safety.
That was no consolation for the Brentford supporters who had made the trek north, only to find out they had wasted both time and money.
Brentford, not surprisingly, are unimpressed and have criticised Accrington for
giving them a bum steer with the first pitch inspection.
But it’s Stanley response that amused me.
Claiming that they had done everything by the book, Accrington said they were sorry for the supporters who had travelled for nothing, not just from the capital but all over.
The statement listed visitors from South Wales, Scotland, Ireland… and even Milan.
Now either Accrington Stanley, the smallest club in league football, have a secret fanbase worldwide or Fabio Capello really is taking his England scouting duties seriously.