' Ex Bluebird on Rotherham debacle '
Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:39 am
' Ex Bluebird on Rotherham debacle '
Ex Bluebirds Nathan Blake understands the fans' frustrations at Rotherham but believes it would have been nigh-on impossible to get the game back on following the "deluge" of rain which poured down during half-time.
City supporters were furious by the seeming lack of urgency to clear the surface water, but while Blake understands that viewpoint, he believes the outcome would have been the same regardless.
Nathan Blake:
"There wasn't much that could've been done in fairness, but the sprinklers came on. There's no way they knew the rain was going to come down like it did," he told the BBC.
"Obviously it looks bad during the rain with the sprinklers on and one of the ground staff - pushing water off and pulling it back on. But it was a real deluge - the rest of the pitch was under water so it would've been difficult to play the game, the ball wasn't going to roll or anything like that.
"I think the frustration for the Cardiff fans was probably the fact that for 15 to 20 minutes no one came out and tried to do anything at all about the pitch and then when they did one guy came out and then the second then the third.
"Then one guy with a fork trying to relieve some of the flooding but it was never going to happen, it was just one of those things - mother nature. It couldn't be helped.
"Rotherham were far happier to have the game abandoned than Cardiff - Cardiff were trying to get it on and Rotherham were happy for it to be abandoned.
"Rotherham were happy because they had three or four of their main players out also, so everything was good for them to have the game abandoned but not so good for Cardiff in fairness. I would've thought that there would definitely be a replay for sure and Cardiff will be disappointed but they can still go there and win.
"But like I said, it was one of those situations where there was a long way to go for an abandoned game and things happen from time to time."
Ex Bluebirds Nathan Blake understands the fans' frustrations at Rotherham but believes it would have been nigh-on impossible to get the game back on following the "deluge" of rain which poured down during half-time.
City supporters were furious by the seeming lack of urgency to clear the surface water, but while Blake understands that viewpoint, he believes the outcome would have been the same regardless.
Nathan Blake:
"There wasn't much that could've been done in fairness, but the sprinklers came on. There's no way they knew the rain was going to come down like it did," he told the BBC.
"Obviously it looks bad during the rain with the sprinklers on and one of the ground staff - pushing water off and pulling it back on. But it was a real deluge - the rest of the pitch was under water so it would've been difficult to play the game, the ball wasn't going to roll or anything like that.
"I think the frustration for the Cardiff fans was probably the fact that for 15 to 20 minutes no one came out and tried to do anything at all about the pitch and then when they did one guy came out and then the second then the third.
"Then one guy with a fork trying to relieve some of the flooding but it was never going to happen, it was just one of those things - mother nature. It couldn't be helped.
"Rotherham were far happier to have the game abandoned than Cardiff - Cardiff were trying to get it on and Rotherham were happy for it to be abandoned.
"Rotherham were happy because they had three or four of their main players out also, so everything was good for them to have the game abandoned but not so good for Cardiff in fairness. I would've thought that there would definitely be a replay for sure and Cardiff will be disappointed but they can still go there and win.
"But like I said, it was one of those situations where there was a long way to go for an abandoned game and things happen from time to time."
Re: ' Ex Bluebird on Rotherham debacle '
Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:41 am
I think we all know the game will be replayed from the start at some inconvenient time. Rotherham will have a finger wagging off the EFL being told their efforts weren't good enough. We need to draw a line under this and get on with the serious business of trying to stay up. 
Re: ' Ex Bluebird on Rotherham debacle '
Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:44 am
I don't agree with Nathan but thanks to the deliberate lack of effort and professionalism from Rotherham and their charges, we will never really know...
Re: ' Ex Bluebird on Rotherham debacle '
Wed Mar 22, 2023 10:10 am
Don't agree that they couldn't predict the rain. The storm was there to see on any weather app radar. Even their commentators said it was expected.
A shame there were no other games being played in and around Rotherham so to make a comparison. All around were either playing away or played earlier or later.
A shame there were no other games being played in and around Rotherham so to make a comparison. All around were either playing away or played earlier or later.
Re: ' Ex Bluebird on Rotherham debacle '
Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:08 pm
Sven wrote:I don't agree with Nathan but thanks to the deliberate lack of effort and professionalism from Rotherham and their charges, we will never really know...
Completely agree Chris, the video evidence shows a lack of effort, resource and also contempt by their players clapping the groundsmen (only 3) plus the groundsman flicking the bird and smirking. And the sprinklers on at HT was deliberate, they wouldn't be on auto as extra time is variable, so was a manual process when the pitch was already waterlogged. I'm not a drainage expert but you'd kinda assume that these hugely expensive Desso type pitch installations would have a basic provision of adequate drainage even for extreme deluges, it the UK and always raining for 6 months. And of course, Rotherham would have been acutely aware of this weather warning forecast and surely would have made provision for a suitable amount of staff to clear the pitch.
The EFL should be considering all of the above and do something in our favour but I'm not holding my breath.