Hopping Rules: Have Your Say – What happens if a game is abandoned? 

 

As ‘hoppers we all have our own views about counting abandoned games, so what is the main consensus of opinion?

 

21/11/05 from WebEd: Personally I like to see any game played to its conclusion. This means that if a match does not reach its full duration (usually 90 minutes for a league match or longer in cup ties) and the result does not stand then, I feel obliged to return at some time in the future before I can count the ground as completed. Over the years this has ranged from a game stopped through injury (at Wormley Rovs v BAE Stevenage on New Years Day 1994 – broken leg after 2minutes); weather (thick fog at St.Ives in January 1992 and gale-force winds at Scole in February 1999 both stopped at half-time) and lack of officials (Hucknall v Newcastle Town in the FAV3 in December 1996 where a linesman tore a calf muscle and had to retire without a replacement being found on 31 mins). Sadly I attended a Cambridgeshire League Senior B Division game between Haslingfield and Lakenheath a few years ago where the referee was assaulted and the match was halted after 88 minutes – the home side was then removed from the competition and I have since decided not to attempt a re-visit.