Dover Athletic count cost following "unacceptable" 11 minute abandonment

Saturday 22nd December 2007

Dover Athletic are counting the financial cost as today’s Ryman League Division One South game against Horsham YMCA was abandoned after just ELEVEN minutes, writes Stephen McCartney.

Referee Ian Fissenden called a halt to proceedings to the despair of the Crabble faithful after striker Jimmy Dryden slipped over on the edge of the YM penalty area after Craig Cloke played a ball towards him from close to the half-way line.

However, as the game failed to reach half-time, Dover Athletic had to issue vouchers to fans at the match to use for the replayed match, which has been re-arranged for Monday, 4th February 2008 (7:45pm).

“In line with League and ground rules as the game was abandoned before half-time, we’re now duty bound to issue vouchers for the rematch whenever that may be,” said Dover Athletic chairman Mr Jim Parmenter, when interviewed on www.dafctv.co.uk.

Mr Parmenter explained why the match was abandoned so early – despite match highlights on www.dafctv.co.uk showing that the pitch was it’s usual green self.

He said: “I understand the reason is because he (the referee) thought the pitch was playable before the game but eleven minutes into the game he decided that when Jimmy Dryden slipped over, it wasn’t playable, that’s as I understand the reason.”

But Mr Parmenter felt the referee should have waited until half-time to make his decision.

“I think it’s a difficult job for the referee when the pitch is a little bit hard,” he said.

“The only thing I would say is that if the referee is going to make a decision to start the game, then he’s got to make a good effort to finish the game.

“It’s very unacceptable to have a game abandoned after eleven minutes when he should have at least made half-time if the game started, in my opinion.”

Fans that were issued with vouchers today can only use them for the replayed Horsham YMCA fixture in early February.

“The ground rules are very clear, the League rules are very clear,” said Mr Parmenter.

“We issue vouchers for the replay of this game. If anybody’s got a particular difficulty (to attend the replayed match), if they’d like to contact the club in writing then we’ll do what we can to accommodate that particular situation, but the tickets issued today are for the game against Horsham when it’s replayed.”

Visit Dover Athletic's websites: www.doverathletic.com & www.dafctv.co.uk