DID THE REF GET IT RIGHT AT CATS’ AWAYDAY?
RICHARD MENNEAR AND PHIL SMITH HAVE THEIR SAY ON SATURDAY’S ABANDONED GAME
the first place.
It was a big day for the hosts, a record crowd helped by Sunderland’s huge 2,600-strong away following spread over two stands.
Heavy rain in the days leading up to the game was followed by further heavy rain in the two hours before kick-off.
A large section down the wings in front of the main stand resembled a farmers’ field, ground staff clearing the wet mud from the surface. Langford had looked at the pitch at 10.30am and it was fine, further rain then fell, he twice looked at it before kick-off and was clearly concerned.
A message came through that while it was fine at 1.45pm another heavy downpour would likely see it off.
By his own admission it was “touch and go at the start”. In fairness, by 3pm the rain had stopped but more was forecast, a quick glimpse at the weather forecast told you that.
While it was fine to start, there was always a danger the game couldn’t have been completed. And so it proved.
It would have been an unpopular decision to call it off before KO but arguably it would have been the right one, although it was a difficult