Match off

[Dave]

Matt, I am not trying to fall out with you. However what on earth are you talking about, no one could have seen this coming, below you will find a copy of a post made on the Barnet forum 5 days ago, yes 5 days ago.

http://onlybarnet.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 6&start=15
Heavy rain forecast in the Torquay area from wednesday onwards, what odds the game is suspiciously postponed & has to be played on the tuesday after the Wycombe game! jerroll

Posts: 2026
Joined: 23 Jan 2011, 18:25

So it would appear this Barnet fan seemed to have a much better grasp on our local weather than you and our club, of course we could have seen this coming it was on the weather forecast every bloody day, and of course we could not put the covers on 24/7 all week, you do not need to be a gardener to know that would kill the grass do you, and I was not suggesting that, we know there is a massive problem on that side of the pitch it could have been covered from Wednesday for part of day, and should been on last night through to this morning.

Worst rain for 20 years.huh, it has not rained for nearly 2 weeks and are really suggesting it only ever rains hard on Plainmoor.

I have rarely if ever been negative, certainly not the type of person to be negative for the sake of it, I am just honest. When I left for the game I did not even consider postponement a possiblity, spoke to quite a few in boots and laces trust me Matt there was a heck of a lot of very hacked off Torquay fans thinking the same way as me, today not a good day for our club, I firmly believe todays postponement was avoidable and nothing you say will change my mind on that.

[Dave]

I know it's already been posted, but have a look at this, it's absolutely hilarious:

http://www.onlybarnet.com/forum/viewtop ... f=3&t=5061

What a bunch of idiots. Apparently, Barnet is inhabited entirely by amateur grounds- and weathermen.

Look, Bees, we didn't know the weather was coming, no one knew the weather was coming. We were told it would rain, not that half the Atlantic would be dumped on the ground in 11 seconds. We didn't cover the pitch because A) as far as anyone knew, they wouldn't be needed and B) see A.

Honestly, I really hope we never come across like that to other clubs.

Matt.

As said they did, how come we didn't.

[SuperNickyWroe]

im with you daveforvever on this.
its embarrasing really for the club
glad i didnt decide to come to the match!

[ferrarilover]

Heavy rain wasn't a problem. Despite the rain we'd suffered over the last few days, at 0900 today, the pitch was fine and, had the rain continued at the same rate, the match would have been on no problem. What stuffed us was suffering one third of a month's rain in 4 hours*. No one predicted that. It won't rain that hard again for the next 20 years, you mark my words.

Matt.

*for the decimal among us, that's 33.3% of the rain in 0.55% of the month. I'd be amazed if we could have dealt with that even if we'd have known it was coming. That volume of water has to go somewhere.

[brucie]

When I left north devon I didn't consider that the match would be off either. There had been a fair bit of rain in south devon but the main factor in the postponement of the game was clearly the state of the pitch (ie the part in front of Bristows Bench) which has been in a hell of a state for months.
Its been an accident waiting to happen - if anyone seriously thinks that the game woudn't have been played on a pitch which drains properly then they are a fool.

[supergulls]

Our pitch yesterday

[Dave]

Supergulls, no one is disputing our pitch was not playable and postponing the game was the right call.

Matt, I fully get and understand what your saying, it was indeed a lot of rain in a short space of time.

The point is that heavy did not just dump on plainmoor, it dumped on Kingsteignton aswell, my lad did a 2hr training session at Adbrook near the Ten Toors pub on a perfectly playable pitch that finished at midday.

I can assure you as I live in Newton Abbot the same heavy rain dumped on Newton aswell, Newton Abbot Spurs who play not far from B+Q kicked off at 3pm Saturday and played there game, on a pitch that was in good condition and not in anyway a park league mud fest.

I believe places such as Bristol and Northampton also had heavy forcasted for yesterday yet their clubs also played, it was only us who had a game called off.

That is the point, and why this is embarrassing, as said there are measures such as earthquaking and bore holes filled with horticultral sand that aid drainage, if our club have taken these and other mearsures then fine not a lot more other than using the pitch covers they could have done, however if not why not.

[supergulls]

Here's a picture of the pitch, does it really look that bad?

Forever
danny said does it look that bad I was just showing that yes it really was quite bad.

[mickyflash]

I was in the club shop when I heard the match had been called off yesterday, something I didn't even consider when I left home, despite the rain.

BUT it really does not help the clubs image to hear ALL the staff behind the counter start telling each other "they knew it would be called off!"

I then went to the back ticket office for a refund as I am not able to make all mid-week games. The girl didn't even look at me as she took my ticket tutting, I then had to listen to the two staff tell each other "we are going to be in refund mode now" that they "want to go home" and "this is going to get very messy"

I am lucky enough not to have to travel to get to plainmoor, but the guy behind me had travelled from Birmingam with his son, and left telling him "next time we will go to Villa Park, they can play in the rain"

I understand there is nothing the club can do about the postponement, it's out of their hands and just one of those things. I just wish the FACE of the club would have a little more understanding and compassion when dealing with equally disappointed fans. Many of whom have already invested heavily in a fruitless journey.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Totally agree MF. Indeed i have no reason to dispute your claims about your experience but if this is true then the club should sack them all and get someone else in who can do what they are paid to do and at the same time treat people with respect. I have noticed a certain surliness in how i've been dealt with on a couple of occasions and i've only been to Plainmoor 3 times in my whole life!!! This level of discourteous service has to stop now as it's appalling and embarrassing and if they don't want work then get the f*ckers binned and get people in who do. We'd get a better service from eastern european workers who cannot speak English very well, at least they'd look you in the eye when serving you and not be distracted and carry on with chitter chatter with someone else whilst i'm being served!! As happened to me once. Sick of hearing about the unprofessional nature of some of the clubs staff so they need it sorting or the next time i have a similar experience i'm just going to complain and complain until i get an apology and someone at the club like Mr Candy who knows what he's doing can take steps to retrain some of these ignorant people in the dying art of customer service. I urge you all to complain and make their life hell and only then will things improve. I'm not a second class citizen and don't wish to be treated as much by rude and ignorant employees at the club!

[Gullscorer]

The other side of the coin is when the disappointed public takes it out on an equally disappointed staff. It's not the staff's fault that a game was called off, or that the pitch cannot cope with the rain.

If clubs like Torquay had Aston Villa's money there would be no problem. As it is, the Gulls obviously don't have the finances to enable them to maintain a decent pitch.

Seems to be a sign of the times in today's society; everyone having regard only for themselves and antagonistic towards others..

[AustrianAndyGull]

Doesn't matter Mick IMO. These people are paid to give exemplary customer service as representatives of TUFC regardless of the manner of the problem or the complainant. Yes they are going to get d*ckheads kicking off now and then but then so do many other employees in customer service roles such as in bookmakers, in shops, etc and it is sadly part of the job. All they can do is try and placate them and give as much help as they can and if the complainants are still kicking off then go and get a senior manager to sort it out. It's obviously not nice when this happens but it's a remit of their employment so need to act professional. No excuses.

In terms of what micky says about them discussing customers in front of him then clearly that is just not acceptable. We all slag off people now and again in whatever job we do but do it discreetly and not within earshot of all and sundry. It's like the teens working at McDonalds discussing who they got off with the other night whilst i'm waiting for a coffee. Shut them up or sack them. Their choice.

[Dave]

It's very rare if ever I dissargee with anything you say Gullscorer, however on this occasion all I can say is, if Newton Spurs can afford to maintain a decent pitch and we can not, then lets pack the whole thing up now. We have been amongst the first to complain at the state of Accringtons pitch and others in the past.

On the subject of the staff for a start they would not have been able to go home if the game had been on, also Andy is right I work in a customer facing service role, I would not last very long if I displayed I can not be bothered attitude, in fact I have often been very polite and smiled at some one while all time thinking, what a complete toss#r you are, you just can not be any other way if you want to keep your job.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Same here Dave, i've been on the end of some dogs abuse and the animal welfare sector seems to attract more than it's fair share of unsavoury characters. I've been threatened with weapons, spat at and verbally abused and allsorts and can do little but try and help them or call the police. Ok so my examples are at the extreme end of the spectrum but it makes you laugh that some of these people employed by TUFC cannot deal with people professionally.

I've called people allsorts when they've gone but that is just to myself and my colleagues. Like Dave says, put up with it or find another job.

[mickyflash]

The other side of the coin is when the disappointed public takes it out on an equally disappointed staff. It's not the staff's fault that a game was called off

I did make a point of saying, staff were dealing with Equally disappointed fans. at no point did I insinuate one group would be more disappointed than another. I do not think politely walking to the Ticket Office and asking for a refund was taking out my frustration that the match had been called off.

If clubs like Torquay had Aston Villa's money there would be no problem. As it is, the Gulls obviously don't have the finances to enable them to maintain a decent pitch.

Obviously I agree, and this is not really in question. I wasn't really sure what to make of the comments from our guests from Birmingham, nevertheless it was said, to a boy, and it could well have been his first game (he was young enough) would it had been said if the staff had made an effort to make its customers more welcome? I do not know.

Seems to be a sign of the times in today's society; everyone having regard only for themselves and antagonistic towards others..

What are you trying to say here? I am a director of a small local company, there has been many times a CUSTOMER of mine has requested something that has resulted in more work at my end. I have never responded in such a way and would not expect any of my staff to react either. That being said, lets not blow this out of proportion. I did not walk away feeling particularly angry with the club. and it is nothing a little training or understanding cannot fix. I am not trying to get anybody sacked here!

The only thing I will say is we all know this is not the first time this has happened, and we all know that the same faces have been seen behind the counters at the club for years. Nothing has improved and nothing has changed, why not?

if I am coming across antagonistic towards the club, then I apologise that is not my intent. I am only trying to air my opinion that the club is losing money here. In fact I have in the past tried to contact the club to sponsor a match on behalf of my company. Only to get no reply, we now sponsor a match at Exeter Chiefs once a year..