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As Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town await the EFL’s decision regarding their abandoned game, a new twist has emerged as Valerien Ismael apparently doesn’t like what was written in the referee’s match report.
Blackburn Rovers were on their way to a much-needed home win with ten minutes to go at Ewood Park on Saturday. A Todd Cantwell penalty split the two teams, but then the heavens opened and ruined it all for Rovers.
With referee Steve Martin having no choice but to abandon the game, we now face an anxious wait to see what happens next. It’s fairly uncharted territory, with Ipswich Town’s red card on the day complicating matters when it comes to a replay.
The EFL Board is now making their decision on the matter. But, the latest from Valerien Ismael muddies the water, to say the least.
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Valerien Ismael disagrees with match report for Blackburn Rovers vs Ipswich Town
In a report from Alan Nixon on Patreon, it has emerged that Ismael has now questioned the referee report from the game on Saturday.
In the report, it was claimed Ismael had agreed to call off the game due to the waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park.
However, Ismael has refuted that entirely. It’s said the Blackburn Rovers manager was not even consulted about the decision, and did not want the game to be abandoned.
Apparently, Ipswich figures pushed for the match to end. That makes sense, given they were a goal and a man down with ten minutes to go.
This development will no doubt make the EFL’s decision-making process even more complex now. One thing’s for sure: someone is going to be unhappy either way.
Unfortunately for Blackburn, it may be harsh, but a full replay now looks most likely.
All signs point to a full replay decision from the EFL
There are very few precedents of an exact situation, but we have some close examples.
A game between Fulham and Derby County was abandoned in 1983 with just 78 seconds left to play. It was decided not to replay the game and stick with the 1-0 win for Derby.
In 2015, Blackpool fans stormed the pitch and forced a game to be abandoned. They were drawing 0-0 with Huddersfield Town, but the protest against the Tangerines’ owners left the game unplayable. The EFL decided to leave that one as a draw.
Obviously, in that scenario, both parties could be fairly happy. That’s not the case for Blackburn and Ipswich.
Jeff Stelling insists there should be a full replay of the fixture. However, Todd Cantwell thinks Blackburn deserve the points.
With the risk of seriously upsetting someone, and the integrity of the game at stake, it’s likely the EFL will just order a full replay and let fate take its course here.