List Bizarre/unusual reasons for cancelled/suspended/abandoned games

[Todman]

FOOTBALL - Nelson Second Semi-final AN UNUSUAL CLIMAX - Nelson Advocate (WA : 1926 - 1938) - 31 Aug 1934

The second semi-final of the Nelson Association played between Rovers And Balingup at Greenbushes on Sunday last, provided an unusual happen, ...

trove.nla.gov.au

FOOTBALL . 31/8/1934

Fix this textNelson Second Semi-final

AN UNUSUAL CLIMAX

The second semi-final of the Nelson Association played between Rovers and Balingup at Greenbushes on Sunday last, provided an unusual happening, when, with only 1 point the difference, the ball burst, and another one not being available, the game had to conclude some 14 minutes before the scheduled time. Bad weather conditions ruined any semblance of good football and apart from the closeness of the scores the wet and slushy scramble was nothing to enthuse
over.

Under the circumstances the match will again be played" this Sunday at Greenbushes.

 

[Rubber Arm]

FOOTBALL - Nelson Second Semi-final AN UNUSUAL CLIMAX - Nelson Advocate (WA : 1926 - 1938) - 31 Aug 1934

The second semi-final of the Nelson Association played between Rovers And Balingup at Greenbushes on Sunday last, provided an unusual happen, ...

trove.nla.gov.au

FOOTBALL . 31/8/1934

Fix this textNelson Second Semi-final

AN UNUSUAL CLIMAX

The second semi-final of the Nelson Association played between Rovers and Balingup at Greenbushes on Sunday last, provided an unusual happening, when, with only 1 point the difference, the ball burst, and another one not being available, the game had to conclude some 14 minutes before the scheduled time. Bad weather conditions ruined any semblance of good football and apart from the closeness of the scores the wet and slushy scramble was nothing to enthuse
over.

Under the circumstances the match will again be played" this Sunday at Greenbushes.

Your kidding haha. Surely both teams would have had at least 10 practice balls each. Or they could have used the ressies game ball or something

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Derby103]

Your kidding haha. Surely both teams would have had at least 10 practice balls each. Or they could have used the ressies game ball or something

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

Haha. Money was very tight during the great depression. Haha. Footballs were very expensive. Haha. Judging from the article there was only one football at the ground. Haha.

 

[The_Historian]

I have two that I've found fascinating (I've had a quick look and don't think they've been mentioned, but if they have apologies.)

First one is the 1904 VFA grand final. Richmond were minor premiers and played North Melbourne in the first week of the finals and lost. As the winner North moved to the preliminary final and beat Footscray. As Richmond were minor premiers they had the right to challenge North to a grand final. The tigers objected to the selection of the grand final match day umpire Allen, due to his (in their eyes) 'lack of control' over the previous two finals he officiated - it was alleged - he allowed North to engage in time wasting tactics and rough play in the prelim, and not checking the boot studs of the North players in the first final (Richmond had claimed North were wearing iron studs/spikes). As the association did not strip the umpire from his role, consequently, Richmond decided to forfeit the chance to play in the grand final and North were awarded that years flag. I believe this is the only time a team has forfeited a grand final.

Second one was the 1945 reserves game between St Kilda and Geelong, which was scheduled in the last round, near Junction Oval. The lead up to the game, the sky had opened up and had rained for most of that week, consequently, the ground was still covered with water, as the result of the game didn't impact the ladder positions of either team and neither would be playing finals, (saints were last and Geelong were 2nd last) both coaches approached the umpire and agreed to all forfeit the match and go to the local pub for drinks. As the bad weather held back all supporters, officials ect, the umpire agreed, if he got paid. To ensure they was no sanctions, as they were at the pub they would formulate a post match report listing the score - Geelong 12.6 - 78 to St Kilda 11.12 -78, with detailed quarterly summaries, best players and goal kickers. Apparently no one found out until mid 2000s when Colin Hutchinson (Geelong and AFL) historian was looking into the game.

 

[Gibbsy]

Second one was the 1945 reserves game between St Kilda and Geelong, which was scheduled in the last round, near Junction Oval. The lead up to the game, the sky had opened up and had rained for most of that week, consequently, the ground was still covered with water, as the result of the game didn't impact the ladder positions of either team and neither would be playing finals, (saints were last and Geelong were 2nd last) both coaches approached the umpire and agreed to all forfeit the match and go to the local pub for drinks. As the bad weather held back all supporters, officials ect, the umpire agreed, if he got paid. To ensure they was no sanctions, as they were at the pub they would formulate a post match report listing the score - Geelong 12.6 - 78 to St Kilda 11.12 -78, with detailed quarterly summaries, best players and goal kickers. Apparently no one found out until mid 2000s when Colin Hutchinson (Geelong and AFL) historian was looking into the game.

This is a beauty! Here's a couple of media articles written on the revelation if anyone is interested:

Footy scandal exposed: The game that never was

The truth behind the 1945 reserves match between Geelong and St Kilda

www.afl.com.au

No Cookies | Geelong Advertiser

No Cookies

www.geelongadvertiser.com.au

 

[The_Historian]

This is a beauty! Here's a couple of media articles written on the revelation if anyone is interested:

Footy scandal exposed: The game that never was

The truth behind the 1945 reserves match between Geelong and St Kilda

www.afl.com.au

No Cookies | Geelong Advertiser

No Cookies

www.geelongadvertiser.com.au

The best part is, it was kept under wraps for something like 60 odd years. There were around 40 odd people who conspired it and no one leaked it, that's somewhat incredible in itself.

 

[Todman]

This is a beauty! Here's a couple of media articles written on the revelation if anyone is interested:

Footy scandal exposed: The game that never was

The truth behind the 1945 reserves match between Geelong and St Kilda

www.afl.com.au

No Cookies | Geelong Advertiser

No Cookies

www.geelongadvertiser.com.au

Same thing happened in the SAAFA a few years ago but the story leaked within days.

 

[Rubber Arm]

Haha. Money was very tight during the great depression. Haha. Footballs were very expensive. Haha. Judging from the article there was only one football at the ground. Haha.

Didn't see that the game was in 1934 whoops

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Gordon Farkas]

The best part is, it was kept under wraps for something like 60 odd years. There were around 40 odd people who conspired it and no one leaked it, that's somewhat incredible in itself.

Awesome story, but the contrived score was the giveaway -if the ground was underwater and it was torrential rain then no way a team would kick 12.6, or even 11.12 for that matter.

They should have come up with something more plausible for the conditions, say 4.14.38 to 3.20.38.

 

[The_Historian]

Awesome story, but the contrived score was the giveaway -if the ground was underwater and it was torrential rain then no way a team would kick 12.6, or even 11.12 for that matter.

They should have come up with something more plausible for the conditions, say 4.14.38 to 3.20.38.

Totally agree, I think the players had put quiet a bit of 'Mayo' on the story and embellished the details a little to much. But I think if they were questioned by the score line or other details, there were so many confirming it, the newspapers and VFL officials had no reason to doubt it.

 

[brutus76]

I was at this game (played in the reserves and played pretty well IMO)

Wild scenes. Cops called. Paddy wagons arrived. WAGS dragging/taking their others straight to their cars still in their playing gear. The goal umpire was the President and goal and boundary umpires were volunteers (one from each club) and not dressed in white - they had proper boundary and goal umpires for finals only (from Ballarat and Geelong)

 

[Kingpin]

Rosebery-Toorak's opening North West Football Association match for 2021 against East Ulverstone at Rosebery Park was cancelled when the ground had been double booked by the Council.
Apparently the ground was covered with a fireworks display for a community day.
No word on if/when it'll be played.

 

[Connor7395]

Rosebery-Toorak's opening North West Football Association match for 2021 against East Ulverstone at Rosebery Park was cancelled when the ground had been double booked by the Council.
Apparently the ground was covered with a fireworks display for a community day.
No word on if/when it'll be played.

Okay, that's up there with the Gascoyne FA (?) postponing games because someone put a concrete cricket pitch in the ground.

 

[Todman]

Blues chasing elusive first win - AFL North Coast

THE Northern Beaches have shown glimpses of some tremendous football in their first two matches back in the seniors. Trouble is all they’ve got to show for it so far is one draw. The Blues drew with reigning premier Grafton…Read more ›

aflnorthcoast.com.au

NAMBUCCA Valley’s playing stocks have met a perfect storm and unfortunately the Lions won’t be able to field a team to meet the Coffs Breakers.

A long injury list combined with a buck’s weekend that will have see half a dozen Lions missing has caused a massive reduction in playing stocks for this week.

The forfeit by Nambucca Valley this week is not ideal for either party, even though the Breakers get the four premiership points.

 

[the croucher]

This is a beauty! Here's a couple of media articles written on the revelation if anyone is interested:

Footy scandal exposed: The game that never was

The truth behind the 1945 reserves match between Geelong and St Kilda

www.afl.com.au

No Cookies | Geelong Advertiser

No Cookies

www.geelongadvertiser.com.au

Sorry, but the "hoax match" claim is, in my opinion a hoax in itself.

The match did take place, as per my comments made to the AFL, and media union a few years ago.

"
.In mid-Sept 2014 [The AFL Record had originally printed the article a couple of weeks earlier] the AFL website published an article about a supposed "hoax" football match in 1945 which was written up in the Geelong Advertiser at the time. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-09-14/the-game-that-never-was

The AFL article claims the Advertiser journalist wrote a sham report, but my research so far indicates that the match probably did take place and that the journalist's report was genuine.
The venue in the article is claimed by the elderly ex-player to be Ross Gregory Oval. Ben Collins (AFL author) states that the contemporary report in the Geelong Advertiser had listed the venue as Burnley Oval "Perhaps it was part of the ruse."

No, Burnley Oval was always the planned venue - see League Seconds heading near bottom of this article in The Argus
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/974367


As for the nonsense about the weather making the ground like a lake, please refer to the daily rainfall figures recorded by Bureau of Metereology for Sept 1945 which reveal that up to 9 a.m. on Saturday 1st Sept (morning of match) there were 0.5mm of rain recorded, for the next 24 hrs until 9 a.m Sunday 2 Sept i.e. covering timespan during which the match would have been played) there were 0 mm recorded
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=136&p_display_type=dailyDataFile&p_startYear=1945&p_c=-1481833347&p_stn_num=086071

The maximium temperature for 24 hrs up to 9 a.m. Sunday 2 Sept (i.e. covering timespan during which match would have been played) was 13.3 degrees Celsius
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=122&p_display_type=dailyDataFile&p_startYear=1945&p_c=-1481830457&p_stn_num=086071

I don't live in a state which provides library access to back copies of The Herald or The Sporting Globe, but I suspect that if editions of those papers dated on or about 1 September 1945 were checked more detail would be revealed proving that the match took place.

I think the editor of the AFL Record at earliest opportunity next year should print an apology, and in the meantime the AFL admin should as soon as possible also apologise and remove the article from the website. "

The final score was published in the evening edition of The Herald on match day:

League Goalkickers - The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) - 1 Sep 1945

trove.nla.gov.au

 

[Connor7395]

Sorry, but the "hoax match" claim is, in my opinion a hoax in itself.

The match did take place, as per my comments made to the AFL, and media union a few years ago.

"
.In mid-Sept 2014 [The AFL Record had originally printed the article a couple of weeks earlier] the AFL website published an article about a supposed "hoax" football match in 1945 which was written up in the Geelong Advertiser at the time. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-09-14/the-game-that-never-was

The AFL article claims the Advertiser journalist wrote a sham report, but my research so far indicates that the match probably did take place and that the journalist's report was genuine.
The venue in the article is claimed by the elderly ex-player to be Ross Gregory Oval. Ben Collins (AFL author) states that the contemporary report in the Geelong Advertiser had listed the venue as Burnley Oval "Perhaps it was part of the ruse."

No, Burnley Oval was always the planned venue - see League Seconds heading near bottom of this article in The Argus
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/974367


As for the nonsense about the weather making the ground like a lake, please refer to the daily rainfall figures recorded by Bureau of Metereology for Sept 1945 which reveal that up to 9 a.m. on Saturday 1st Sept (morning of match) there were 0.5mm of rain recorded, for the next 24 hrs until 9 a.m Sunday 2 Sept i.e. covering timespan during which the match would have been played) there were 0 mm recorded
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=136&p_display_type=dailyDataFile&p_startYear=1945&p_c=-1481833347&p_stn_num=086071

The maximium temperature for 24 hrs up to 9 a.m. Sunday 2 Sept (i.e. covering timespan during which match would have been played) was 13.3 degrees Celsius
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=122&p_display_type=dailyDataFile&p_startYear=1945&p_c=-1481830457&p_stn_num=086071

I don't live in a state which provides library access to back copies of The Herald or The Sporting Globe, but I suspect that if editions of those papers dated on or about 1 September 1945 were checked more detail would be revealed proving that the match took place.

I think the editor of the AFL Record at earliest opportunity next year should print an apology, and in the meantime the AFL admin should as soon as possible also apologise and remove the article from the website. "

The final score was published in the evening edition of The Herald on match day:

League Goalkickers - The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) - 1 Sep 1945

trove.nla.gov.au

Wow. Nice work pointing out the discrepancies, croucher.
I think this warrants another look.

 

[LocalFootyStats]

In the Eastern Districts Football League, a round 12 game from 1986 between Kilsyth and Blackburn South was abandoned during the second quarter. Not sure why this game was abandoned but Kilsyth was leading 7.2 to 1.0 but no points were awarded. I emailed the league as Kilsyth have their 1000th game coming up in a few weeks, as I was unsure if the game was included, they said the game doesnt count towards total games played and couldnt give me a reason why that game was abandoned.
Does anyone know?

 

[Kingpin]

Southern Football League in Tasmania have postponed an entire round of matches at Seniors, Reserves, Colts and Womens level this week due to a Cygnet senior player suffering severe spinal damage on Saturday evening. No word mentioned on how it happened but wasn't during the match.
According to reports the player in question (Ryan Wiggins) is facing a very long road ahead of him.

 

[emuboy]

Today's VFL match between the Gold Coast Suns Reserves and Southport Sharks commenced, but called off and cancelled part way through the first quarter due to a COVID 19 Lockdown in South Queensland.

 

[Todman]

COVID-19 update: change to Women's & Under 17 Semi - AFL North Coast

Further to the earlier advice of changes to the Finals fixturing in the Senior Competition, the Women’s Semi Final between Coffs Harbour Breakers and Northern Beaches Blues has been postponed. A number of players who will be involved in this…Read more ›

aflnorthcoast.com.au

Further to the earlier advice of changes to the Finals fixturing in the Senior Competition, the Women’s Semi Final between Coffs Harbour Breakers and Northern Beaches Blues has been postponed.

A number of Coff's players who will be involved in this match have identified that they have been in the Northern Rivers lockdown area in the past week and are therefore required to adhere to the stay-at-home order.

As such, the League and both clubs have agreed to re-schedule this match to 10:00am on Saturday 21 August.

As Coff's senior side played Casino at Casino, the women's team had the bye, (Casino doesn't have a womens team). A number of players took the opportunity to have a ladies weekend away in Bryon Bay and Ballina. Both locations since been added to lockdown LGA's.

Nambucca Valley side that played in Lismore at the weekend are also required to adhere to the stay-at-home order.

 

[35Daicos]

 

[the croucher]

View attachment 1229050
View attachment 1229048

As it turns out, I think this was a Rugby League match:

FOOTBALL - Police stop Cootamundra from playing at Gundagai - Cootamundra Herald (NSW : 1877 - 1954) - 15 Sep 1924

There was a peculiar episode at Gundagai yesterday. Cootamundra went over there to play for the Farrer Cup, but ...

trove.nla.gov.au

FOOTBALL. - Adelong and Tumut Express and Tumbarumba Post (NSW : 1900 - 1925) - 15 May 1925

At a meeting of the Gundagai Rugby League executive last Friday night it was decided to approach the Cootamundra Club with the object ...

trove.nla.gov.au

 

[35Daicos]

As it turns out, I think this was a Rugby League match:

FOOTBALL - Police stop Cootamundra from playing at Gundagai - Cootamundra Herald (NSW : 1877 - 1954) - 15 Sep 1924

There was a peculiar episode at Gundagai yesterday. Cootamundra went over there to play for the Farrer Cup, but ...

trove.nla.gov.au

FOOTBALL. - Adelong and Tumut Express and Tumbarumba Post (NSW : 1900 - 1925) - 15 May 1925

At a meeting of the Gundagai Rugby League executive last Friday night it was decided to approach the Cootamundra Club with the object ...

trove.nla.gov.au

Good work! I suspect the Shepparton Advertiser folks didn't realise that, as the article says "took the field with the intention of kicking a goal and claiming the match"! That's what an Australian football team would be likely to do under those circumstances, but in rugby league you'd expect they'd run the ball through for a try to score the necessary points to win the game. It looks as if they did that and then were going to kick for goal (from the first link you posted):

 

[Todman]

1913

The Chiltern & District Football Association delegates net on Friday, when Wodonga claimed the minor premiership on the ground that the secretary's figures were wrongly made up, but at the meeting they were adopted by 10 votes to 3. The Wodonga Club contented that the records did not agree with the official figures. A lively discussion ensured. Southern Club refused to play Wodonga in the semi final as an appeal to the league had not been decided. Eventually it was decided that the association be wound up for the year.


The ladder the Assoc Secretary supplied the local newspaper looked like this

Chiltern DFA	W	B	L	D	FOR	AGAINST	%	PTS
United Miners	12​				764​	367​	208.2%​	48​
Wodonga	12​				843​	422​	199.8%​	48​
Brown Plains	12​				729​	409​	178.2%​	48​
Southern	12​				633​	379​	167.0%​	48​

FOOTBALL. - CHILTERN DISTRICT ASSOCIATION. - The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times (Albury, NSW : 1903 - 1920) - 21 Oct 1913

The Chiltern and District Football Association delegates met on Friday, when Wodonga claimed the minor premiership, on the ground that the secretary's scores ...

trove.nla.gov.au

 

[Connor7395]

1913

The Chiltern & District Football Association delegates net on Friday, when Wodonga claimed the minor premiership on the ground that the secretary's figures were wrongly made up, but at the meeting they were adopted by 10 votes to 3. The Wodonga Club contented that the records did not agree with the official figures. A lively discussion ensured. Southern Club refused to play Wodonga in the semi final as an appeal to the league had not been decided. Eventually it was decided that the association be wound up for the year.


The ladder the Assoc Secretary supplied the local newspaper looked like this

Chiltern DFA	W	B	L	D	FOR	AGAINST	%	PTS
United Miners	12​				764​	367​	208.2%​	48​
Wodonga	12​				843​	422​	199.8%​	48​
Brown Plains	12​				729​	409​	178.2%​	48​
Southern	12​				633​	379​	167.0%​	48​

FOOTBALL. - CHILTERN DISTRICT ASSOCIATION. - The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times (Albury, NSW : 1903 - 1920) - 21 Oct 1913

The Chiltern and District Football Association delegates met on Friday, when Wodonga claimed the minor premiership, on the ground that the secretary's scores ...

trove.nla.gov.au

Hooray, you're all winners!