Spurs Ask To Replay West Ham Game

[LaoPo]

Spurs ask to replay West Ham game

What's your opninion?

I think they have a point because of the exceptional circumstances (food poisoning)...but....will Spurs be rewarded?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...pur/4755491.stm

LaoPo

Edited May 9, 2006 by LaoPo

[davethailand]

I agree with the reply 100%.

[Lucifer]

I think they'll shit themselves again.

[chonabot]

I'm a Lifelong Spurs fan and was gutted about the incident.

But a replay?

No.

It's life , get on with it....

It would be interesting to see how other teams fans would react if the scenario was in their court though.

( Can you imagine the over emotional Scouse gets?)

[LaoPo]

I agree that it is a very difficult decision...but than again.....10 players were suffering from food poisoning...food from a 4/5 star Marriott Hotel in East London...mind you!

LaoPo

[Momenthai]

In their letter to the Premier League Spurs made a good point that the Premier League were being inconsistent....they would allow the game to be delayed by 2 hours (when the result of the Aresenal game would be known) but they wouldn't allow it to be delayed by 4 or 24 hours. Spurs thought that 2 hours would make no difference so decided to play the game at 3pm especially as Boro had 3 points deducted for postponing a game a couple of years ago I think.

As a Spurs supporter I am completely gutted about it...if we had a fully fit side and West Ham had beaten us fair and square I would have had no complaints but knowing that Spurs didn't have a fiar shot at the game is the annoying part.

Apparantly Spurs have the support of a number of Premier League Clubs (but probably not Arsenal!!) in their quest to get the game replayed but even so I doubt very much that they will get anywhere with their request.

[bendix]

i feel sympathy for Spurs but think having a replay establishes an unhealthy precedent. I can just imagine Ferguson or Mourinho lodging a 'we're all sick' claim three hours before the start of every game, JUST IN CASE the unthinkable happened and they lost the game.

The season is 38 games long. Spurs finished 5th because of their form over 38 games, not because of a one-off game.

However, i really hope it's academic. I hope Arsenal win the Champs League final . . then the issue becomes irrelevant because 4th or 5th, Spurs wouldnt have qualified.

[LaoPo]

What would have been the option (for the Officials) IF the 10 players were completely UNable to play because of the poisoning?

I thought to have read that the officials and the police were afraid of the possible 'outrage' of the supporters...from both sides.

True?

LaoPo

[PREM-R]

It seems that Spurs were "caught between a rock and a hard place" with this, if they had refused to play and the game was postponed they would undpubtedly have been deducted points by the FA ( as happened to Middlesborough), so they play and then ask for a replay and

BBC Sport understands that because Spurs opted to play the game instead of postponing it and then arguing their case at a hearing, they will not be granted a replay.

. So what can a team do when most of its players are struck down with illness just before the game? Postpone and lose points or play on with sick players and not be allowed a replay of the game "because the fixture has already been fullfilled".

[Plus]

Would they still ask for replay if Arsenal wins Champions League?

It's unlikely they'll get a replay before that.

West Ham is playing in FA Cup final this weekend, then Arsenal will have their final on Wednesday.

I can't help the feeling that it's not the fair reason for a replay but rather possible result that drives them more.

[game4shame]

The season is 38 games long. Spurs finished 5th because of their form over 38 games, not because of a one-off game.

agreed. I doubt there would have been an appeal had this happened earlier in the season.

Spurs could have gone ahead and postponed the game until another day, but they would have risked Premier League sanctions, including a points penalty

they had the choice to call it off to another day, ok risking a points deduction, but if the players were as ill as they claim it would have been understandable.

it was their choice to go ahead with the game - that's the main point.

its a case of tough titty IMO.

[ProfessorFart]

I agree with Chon. Spurs have had a great season and have a highly promising young side but to replay the game is just silly and unfair on West Ham who also after a good season will be looking forward to a rest after the FA cup final which they will win!!

A place in the UEFA cup is fair reward for Spurs but it would have been great to have finished above Arsenal.

[warriors]

Same thing happened with the ALL BLACKS V SOUTH AFRICA in the world cup finals in South Africa not sure about 8 years ago. Most of the All Blacks got food posioning from drinking coffee the night before the finals game in there South African five star hotel strange to say the lest. Great form up to the final as expected they lost. Some had to leave the field (hong narm) I expect.

Mandella (president) all smiles. No reply asked for ( it would not have been given)