Is 23 March still on

[andgarod]

Have I missed an announcement about this match

[Fuller]

Have I missed an announcement about this match

Still showing on the fixture lists. Probably waiting to hear what players are being selected for their international squads.
Am I right in thinking we potentially have Southwood, Davies and Bonds that could be called up? But if only two called up then league matches go ahead? Furthermore if only two called up and one is Southwood can we sign another keeper as an emergency signing?
But then Peterborough might have three or more called up anyway?
Lots of ifs and ands…..

[Shade]

Squads haven't been announced yet. Southgate names England's on Thursday 14th, so I'm assuming others will be then as well and we will hear on Thursday or Friday whether the game on 23rd is off.

[Warwickshire Robin]

Have I missed an announcement about this match

Still showing on the fixture lists. Probably waiting to hear what players are being selected for their international squads.
Am I right in thinking we potentially have Southwood, Davies and Bonds that could be called up? But if only two called up then league matches go ahead? Furthermore if only two called up and one is Southwood can we sign another keeper as an emergency signing?
But then Peterborough might have three or more called up anyway?
Lots of ifs and ands…..

Had a search a few weeks ago and I don't think Sierra Leone have a fixture so we wont be able to call it off but in the last window Peterborough had at least three call ups (2 England U20's and one for Cyprus) so they could well call it off?

[Shade]

No, SL don't have a game until June, apparently. Tom King might get a call up? Do under 18's count or is it just U21's?

Of course, our match at Peterborough was called off in September due to call ups (which led to the Tuesday night horror show where we ended up with 9 men). Peterborough had 3 players called up in November as well.

[Fuller]

If it is called off, the only midweek date we have available is Tuesday 26th March or Tuesday 23rd April.
26th March possibly too close to the Fleetwood match on Good Friday? So probably 23rd April.
Hopefully we’d still be in with a chance of staying up.
Just looking again, Republic of Ireland and Guyana both play on the 26th anyway. So almost certainly 23rd April.

[horlickfanclub]

If it is called off, the only midweek date we have available is Tuesday 26th March or Tuesday 23rd April.
26th March possibly too close to the Fleetwood match on Good Friday? So probably 23rd April.
Hopefully we’d still be in with a chance of staying up.
Just looking again, Republic of Ireland and Guyana both play on the 26th anyway. So almost certainly 23rd April.

What relevance is the Republic of Ireland playing? Is that Peterborough players?

[Fuller]

If it is called off, the only midweek date we have available is Tuesday 26th March or Tuesday 23rd April.
26th March possibly too close to the Fleetwood match on Good Friday? So probably 23rd April.
Hopefully we’d still be in with a chance of staying up.
Just looking again, Republic of Ireland and Guyana both play on the 26th anyway. So almost certainly 23rd April.

What relevance is the Republic of Ireland playing? Is that Peterborough players?

Sorry typo, Northern Ireland.

[Warwickshire Robin]

Luke named in the Northern Ireland squad. Noticed watching the Peterborough v Stevenage game last night that if the game goes ahead one of their internationals, Kyprianou, would be suspended anyway. Not sure if that effects the call off criteria?

[asl]

Just confirmed: this is postponed due to call-ups within the Posh squad.

[Shade]

And rearranged for 23rd April, 4 days before the end of the season. So our last two games are now Peterborough home and Stevenage away. And the game before that is Lincoln at home, and they're absolutely flying at the moment. If we're not in a good position by the end of Burton away on 16th April, or playing a hell of a lot better, then we're done for.

Also means we have no home game between 2nd March and 1st April. Hopefully the pitch will recover somewhat.

So our fixture order is now:
Barnsley (a)
Fleetwood (a) must win
Exeter (h) must win
Orient (a)
Carlisle (h) must win
Bristol Rovers (h) must win
Burton (a) must win
Lincoln (h)
Peterborough (h)
Steveange (a)

[paperboy]

And rearranged for 23rd April, 4 days before the end of the season. So our last two games are now Peterborough home and Stevenage away. And the game before that is Lincoln at home, and they're absolutely flying at the moment. If we're not in a good position by the end of Burton away on 16th April, or playing a hell of a lot better, then we're done for.

Also means we have no home game between 2nd March and 1st April. Hopefully the pitch will recover somewhat.

So our fixture order is now:
Barnsley (a)
Fleetwood (a) must win
Exeter (h) must win
Orient (a)
Carlisle (h) must win
Bristol Rovers (h) must win
Burton (a) must win
Lincoln (h)
Peterborough (h)
Steveange (a)

Sad to say but with our kick and chase style the more ropey a pitch is the more it's a levelled imho.

[1985CTFC]

And rearranged for 23rd April, 4 days before the end of the season. So our last two games are now Peterborough home and Stevenage away. And the game before that is Lincoln at home, and they're absolutely flying at the moment. If we're not in a good position by the end of Burton away on 16th April, or playing a hell of a lot better, then we're done for.

Also means we have no home game between 2nd March and 1st April. Hopefully the pitch will recover somewhat.

So our fixture order is now:
Barnsley (a)
Fleetwood (a) must win
Exeter (h) must win
Orient (a)
Carlisle (h) must win
Bristol Rovers (h) must win
Burton (a) must win
Lincoln (h)
Peterborough (h)
Steveange (a)

Sad to say but with our kick and chase style the more ropey a pitch is the more it's a levelled imho.

Hopefully by then 2 or 3 from Peterboro, Stevenage, Lincoln are secure in playoff positions and saving themselves for the up and coming matches! We can but hope.
That is a lot off matches in a month, so fitness and injuries going to dictate whether we can do it.

[Fuller]

And rearranged for 23rd April, 4 days before the end of the season. So our last two games are now Peterborough home and Stevenage away. And the game before that is Lincoln at home, and they're absolutely flying at the moment. If we're not in a good position by the end of Burton away on 16th April, or playing a hell of a lot better, then we're done for.

Also means we have no home game between 2nd March and 1st April. Hopefully the pitch will recover somewhat.

So our fixture order is now:
Barnsley (a)
Fleetwood (a) must win
Exeter (h) must win
Orient (a)
Carlisle (h) must win
Bristol Rovers (h) must win
Burton (a) must win
Lincoln (h)
Peterborough (h)
Steveange (a)

After Burton on 2nd March we had Charlton on 5th March, but not ideal having no home game for best part of a month, and then having to play two games a week for the last four weeks of the season. Our squad, especially with forwards, isn’t big enough or strong enough for that.

[Shade]

I'd banished Charlton from memory.

We've just got to hope we hit our stride, get back to the form of a month ago, clear every hurdle and keep it going to the finish line. We are due a period of good luck. Let's hope it's still to come.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

I think this game being delayed could be a blessing.

By then we’ll know if we are relegated or if we are still battling. We will know exactly what we have to do.

Peterborough should know if they are on the mid-table beach or still in the playoff hunt. We will know exactly what they are playing for, or not.

Ideally they’ll be marooned in 8th or 9th after a weekend defeat and prepare for the game browsing Expedia, and we need at most a point to stay up.

[Jerry St Clair]

Southwood and Bonds both confirmed in their respective squads for the internationals.

[asl]

Good job Posh had three, then. Otherwise we'd have to play with a reserve team keeper.

[Fuller]

Good job Posh had three, then. Otherwise we'd have to play with a reserve team keeper.

Pretty sure we could have had an emergency signing in that situation.
Who was the keeper who played one game for us a few years ago? Didn’t he play at Wycombe? Don’t recall what the circumstances were? Anyone remember?

[PCrobin]

Rob Lainton, from Bury I think? I remember he had a good game, despite the 3-3 scoreline. That point went a long way to keeping us up that season. We seemed to get a lot of high scoring games at Wycombe until this season's dismal performance!
We had Scott Brown back in on loan from Wycombe as first choice keeper at the time, so he wasn't eligible to play for us against them..

[Si Robin]

Rob Lainton is correct. Scott Brown was on loan from Wycombe at the time so ineligible and Calum Kitscha was the backup. As he hadn't played a certain number of first team games, we were allowed to get an emergency loan in.

I'm not sure the same rules stand for international call-ups though.

EDIT: A quick check shows they are the same for call ups

[Fuller]

So that was 2016/17 season then? Crikey doesn’t time fly. Thought it was only a couple of years ago.
Another keeper I remember who came in for one game was Weaver from Bristol City I think, and he played for us at Birmingham City in the FA Cup in 1990, as Barrett was cup tied.
And in 1991/92 we got through about half a dozen keepers, chap called Fry played one game and conceded seven

[Jon Palmer]

Rob Lainton is correct. Scott Brown was on loan from Wycombe at the time so ineligible and Calum Kitscha was the backup. As he hadn't played a certain number of first team games, we were allowed to get an emergency loan in.

I'm not sure the same rules stand for international call-ups though.

EDIT: A quick check shows they are the same for call ups

Kitscha was injured at the time, so it would have been Lovett playing at Wycombe if Lainton hadnt been brought in

[Benctfc]

Is it just me who feels matches in L1 and L2 shouldn't be postponed for internationals unless maybe in the exceptional cases of 5 players being unavailable? Trying to constantly rearrange matches in an already packed schedule is a nightmare.

I get people would say we wouldn't have Southwood but the whole point of a backup keeper is he is ready when needed. If we had no faith in him he shouldn't be here in the first place. I can't remember the last season we had as many Tuesday night home games as this season. Bit frustrating as a season ticket holder as you want Saturday afternoon matches.

[Si Robin]

There is talk of making international weekends blank for League 1 teams from next season given how many games have been postponed this season (there are 3 games on Saturday).

That makes more sense to me to be honest.

I get your point Ben, but there is a vast difference between playing a backup keeper for the last 20 mins when a keeper gets injured, and starting with the backup (I appreciate a keeper can get sent off or injured in the first minute - but looking on the balance of probabilities, etc...)

[horlickfanclub]

Is it just me who feels matches in L1 and L2 shouldn't be postponed for internationals unless maybe in the exceptional cases of 5 players being unavailable? Trying to constantly rearrange matches in an already packed schedule is a nightmare.

I get people would say we wouldn't have Southwood but the whole point of a backup keeper is he is ready when needed. If we had no faith in him he shouldn't be here in the first place. I can't remember the last season we had as many Tuesday night home games as this season. Bit frustrating as a season ticket holder as you want Saturday afternoon matches.

I agree . It gives a chance to a reserve keeper to stake a claim for next season and we have Harris as well as the Youth team keeper registered. Saturdays without football is dismal .