Reds Call For Refund From Ref Denied

Mark Robins' petition to Gavin Ward to reimburse Barnsley supporters travel costs for the abandoned game at Plymouth Argyle was made in vain.

Robins, speaking after the match, told the BBC, 'We should see if the referee will reimburse our supporters because coming here will have cost them an absolute fortune.'

With a 600 mile round trip to Plymouth and back to fund, tickets and hotels for some, the void match will certainly have hit many Reds fans pockets hard and in the end it was all for nothing. Except Nathan Doyle's booking of course, which will now see him banned for the match against Blackpool this weekend.

Robins' plea for a refund for the supporters probably fell on deaf ears and was only half serious. As if it would happen anyway, the referee is actually protected by the laws of the FA from incurring such costs.

The FA law regarding the effects of abandoning a match, which can be found in their handbook on their official website, states that:

'A referee (or where applicable, an assistant referee or fourth official) is not held liable for:
• any kind of injury suffered by a player, official or spectator
• any damage to property of any kind
• any other loss suffered by an individual, club, company, association or other body,
which is due or which may be due to any decision that he may take under the terms
of the Laws of the Game or in respect of the normal procedures required to hold, play
and control a match.

Such decisions may include:
• a decision that the condition of the field of play or its surrounds or that the weather
conditions are such as to allow or not to allow a match to take place.
• a decision to abandon a match for whatever reason.'

So Gavin Ward will not be making any compensation payments to anyone for his 'big decision' made on Saturday.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.