28 December 2012

City Alerts and the Dorchester Manager accusations

TEAM NEWS for tomorrow's match at home to WESTON-SUPER-MARE, kick-off 3pm.  

BOBBY HOPKINSON one-match suspension, five yellow cards pre-December 31.  JAKE ASH (broken thumb) sore but okay to play. TODD HANRAHAN may join squad again if Ivybridge Town v Tavistock postponed in Carlsberg Peninsula South Western League.   LUKE McCORMICK hopefully fully recovered from sickness earlier in week (pre-Boxing Day).  Squad:  Luke McCormick, Calron Hall, Jake Ash, Lee Hodges, Ben Williams, Joe Broad, Marcus Martin, Cody Cooke, Les Afful, Andy Watkins, Kieffer Moore, Barry Hayles, Martin Watts.

NEW DATES for home match against Dorchester and visit to Salisbury City not yet fixed.

Lee has refuted a Dorset Echo report quoting DORCHESTER MANAGER Phil Simkin as claiming that Truro "put intense pressure" on referee Mark Pottage to allow the Boxing Day fixture to go ahead:-Link here>  Dorset Echo

Phil Simkin was quoted by Echosport as saying:

Speaking to Echosport after the Magpies’ frustrating Boxing Day afternoon, he said: “I can’t think of a game I’ve been involved in that has been called off that late.

“I have to say the referee was being put under a lot of pressure by Truro to play the game but nothing surprises me where they are concerned.

“He had no choice because the pitch was under water. He made the right decision but it’s just the way it came about that’s annoying.

“The weather forecast was pretty straight forward – it was going to hammer down with rain.

“The referee nearly called it off earlier in the day but waited until 2pm and it was quite obvious it couldn’t be played.

“We were on the pitch warming-up and it was lashing down. I was just about to go out there and the referee came and said it was off about 20 minutes before.

“Everyone was out there drenched and covered in mud after the warm-up and at that stage we were just ready to play.

He continued: “I have absolutely no sympathy with Truro for wanting to get the game on in that way.

“The referee is experienced and I’ve known him for many years but he was put under intense pressure. I thought he dealt with it brilliantly and made the right decision.
“It was a long way for us to go and obviously it’s going to cost us money and we’ll have to go back there one Tuesday night in the new year.”

Lee's reply:

"I was flabbergasted when I read this," says Lee.  "There was never any pressure of any kind put on the ref.  I had all of two very brief conversations with him.  First, I handed the team sheet into him in the dressing room at 2 pm, in the company of the Dorchester manager.  I asked 'game on?' and the ref said 'yes, unless more rain.'  Then of course the heavens opened and the ref came out for another inspection as we were warming up.  As he walked off, I asked him for his decision and he said the game was now off, and that was it.  I have checked with Tracey and I have absolutely no idea how this guy came to think we had put any kind of pressure on the ref.  It just isn't true."

UPCOMING FIXTURES (all League): Tues, Jan 1, away to Dorchester, 3 pm;  Sat, Jan 5, away to Welling, 3 pm;  Sat, Jan 12, home to Billericay, 3 pm;  Sat, Jan 19, away to Sutton United, 3 pm;  Tues, Jan 22, away to Eastleigh, 7.45 pm;  Sat, Jan 26, home to Chelmsford, 3 pm.

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