First-team coach Matt Gill says playing the Shrewsbury game on Sunday would have been “detrimental to player performance and player welfare”.

The match was postponed at just before 2pm on Saturday with the Blues suggesting restaging the fixture on Sunday, however, having explored the logistics of staying over in Shropshire for another night the idea was abandoned.

Gill, who took this morning’s press conference, says an additional midweek game isn’t something Town wanted.

“Disappointing, obviously,” he said regarding the postponement. “I think with the backlog of games we’re already got it was something we could have done without.

“Obviously we prepared properly for the game, travelled up there on Friday and to be in a situation we in at half-one, a quarter-to-two, it’s not ideal.”

He says Town became aware of the situation when they reached the ground: “When we arrived at the stadium, that was 1.30pm. The manager was asked to go onto the pitch pretty quickly to see the officials at that point and that’s when the shenanigans started.”

"Gill says Town raised the possibility of playing the match on the Sunday: “It was an avenue that we suggested, but unfortunately if it’s detrimental to player performance and player welfare then [it’s not something we can do].

"And pretty quickly it became clear that regarding hotels, food, the lack of training on the Saturday, that it would have been detrimental to our team performance and player welfare, so it was an avenue we then decided to go against.”

He says having yet another Tuesday night game in an already chocker schedule, isn’t what Town would have wanted but believes there are also upsides to the situation.

“Definitely no but having games come thick and fast, I quite enjoyed it as a player,” he reflected. “I think it’s an opportunity to build momentum quickly that we need.

“And it’s also an opportunity to get over disappointment quickly. If you’ve got a game three days later, you need to not dwell and move on pretty quickly for the next performance.

“So I think the schedule between now and the end of the season is far from ideal, but it’s something that we’ve got to thrive on and try and ignite the season.”

Regarding the players, he says they just wanted to play: “That’s it. It’s so disappointing, we’d prepared and it’s a little bit disappointing.

“A few of the other fixtures were called off the day before and rearranged for Sunday, I know down the road at Colchester was.

“That bit’s a little bit disappointing but once it became detrimental to team performance it was something where we thought we weren’t going to put the players at risk - trying to find a new hotel, trying to get food sorted, training.”

Asked how important that side of pre-match arrangements is, he added: “If I put myself in the players’ shoes, you prepare for a three o’clock kick-off on a Saturday. You train on a Thursday, Friday, you travel. Mentally you’re prepared to go and all of a sudden that’s taken away from you an hour before kick-off, it’s a bit of a blow.

“I think the lads were willing to try and give it a go on the Sunday, all credit to them because I can put myself in their shoes and it’s a tough one to get your head around that quickly.

“The hotel we stayed in hadn’t been open, like a lot of the hotels aren’t open at the moment.

“It was freezing cold to start with, so it’s not as easy. We’re living in a time when it’s not easy just to go and get a hotel for 30 people and then have food and the type of nutrition that the lads need.

“I think that we tried to show some kid of flexibility but, as I said, if it’s detrimental to team performance and player welfare, it’s not an avenue we wanted to go down in the end.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Blue_Meanie added 09:35 - Feb 15 Player performance hahaha
6

bluejacko added 09:45 - Feb 15 Really!😂
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markytitfc added 09:46 - Feb 15 Oxford and wigan managed too
3

hoppy added 09:55 - Feb 15 "...it would have been detrimental to our team performance" What's been the reason for most of the rest of the season then?
9

BlueArrow added 10:16 - Feb 15 It's the way I tell em Frank Carson alive and kicking is reincarnated.
3

Suffolkboy added 10:19 - Feb 15 Am I alone in thinking this sounds very much like a bit of a blindside given ITFC through LO'N indicated first of all that they took the sensible decision given the circumstances and the problems of arranging accommodation ? Did the reporters get it totally wrong , or DID our Manager and Asst immediately suggest playing on Sunday ? Like many things ITFC ,whatever and however it emerges, then just as in selection and on the pitch itself there's a distinct lack of commonsense , commonality of approach and cohesive communication ! Does NOT reflect well ! AND why the whinge about another mid week match ? – you're all professionals , paid well to do the job : look on the upside , show determination and enthusiasm NOT hesitation and regret ! Poor old souls ! COYB

7

ThaiBlue added 10:27 - Feb 15 More rubbish,never worried about player performances all season so why worry now.
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Sixto6 added 10:27 - Feb 15 I know it's all too easy to have a pop at how the club is being run, but everything that comes out of it at the moment seems so half hearted ! - detrimental to players welfare ? - you say they wanted to get a match played ! - Hotel unavailable in current circumstances ? - a hotel in an industry that's on its knees in the current climate wouldn't be able to accommodate the team for another night ? - Detrimental to team performance ? - it can't get any worse ? Can it ? I'd much rather sit here hearing........ the players were bang up for it, so we got the hotel sorted and being the professionals they are were ready to go on Sunday...... and that's the kind of team spirit that got us a 2-0 win !!! No ? Ok let's add it to the fixture pile up !

8

Karlosfandangal added 10:29 - Feb 15 Has anyone seen the DVD with Sir Bobby ringing round hotels trying to get the team in for a match against Norwich. His words are “ we are simple folk all we would want is tea and toast and maybe some jam” O how football has changed and for the worst.
17

midastouch added 10:29 - Feb 15 Playing any day of the week is detrimental to player performance with the likes of Lambert, Gill & Taylor at the helm! I wouldn't trust them to steer a paddle boat in a pleasure park. Hands off our beloved football club, we're in danger of sinking without trace under your mismanaged watch. Ipswich once looked an unsinkable club (administration aside) with a great pedigree and history. Then along came Evans the Titanic Iceberg and we've been taking on water ever since!

2

LWNR2013 added 10:30 - Feb 15 So, has Lambert gone part time now ?
8

tractorboybig added 10:38 - Feb 15 the joke of what is now this club gets worse
1

cat added 10:44 - Feb 15 Maybe they were concerned we might pick up a few injuries lol. Lamberts a dead man walking and hiding away is not going to change anything. Why don't Evans do something now instead of prolonging the agony? I'll tell you why, cause he's a useless muppet. Lamberts finished with us, there's no coming back from this and everyone including himself must be aware of this surely. Evans/Lambert out

2

ChrisR added 10:48 - Feb 15 Who recalls the West Ham Game in early 69/70 , snowing like heck , took players off for half hour , returned to finish the game with snow everywhere , or the 78 FA Cup at Bristol Rovers , players on both sides skidding around in snow and ice . Not saying that is right these days , but surely a squad of 30 players can play twice a week in slightly less than perfect conditions. But then they all get injured so easily now! PL just doesn't want to play ( those idiotic International postponements last season ) . Only waiting for his pay off . How low our Club has sunk!

4

Pencilpete added 10:50 - Feb 15 Yeah we wouldn't want to under perform and get a p1ss poor, limp showing from the team would we ? !!!!!
-1

LWNR2013 added 10:51 - Feb 15 I remember it well, a skinhead nicked my mates scarf
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grumpyoldman added 10:54 - Feb 15 ChrisR how about playing FC Twente Enschede on a snow cover pitch, North Stand threw snowballs at the Dutch supporters in the old west stand, who threw them straight back. Happy times
5

BlueBlood90 added 10:57 - Feb 15 I'm sure James Norwood could've easily found a Burger King or McDonalds to keep up with his strict nutritional dietary requirements.
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Swailsey added 11:09 - Feb 15 I love our new manager.
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aas1010 added 11:10 - Feb 15 Haha plus he and lambert got a few household bills to pay so We needed to stay in our jobs 🪓🪓
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TimmyH added 11:16 - Feb 15 What a load of clap trap! can you imagine BR saying this back in the day...
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Woodbridgian added 11:20 - Feb 15 Detrimental to player performance 😂 😂 Even it it was after the rubbish dished out by Lambert week after week I doubt it would be possible to have noticed
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Nobbysnuts added 11:21 - Feb 15 Stupid tw#t...our whole season has been detrimental and pointless...just get lost...
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matthewwylds added 11:34 - Feb 15 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it's a game of football thank god were not at war we would be ##cked
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Paulc added 11:55 - Feb 15 I get that hotels may not be geared up for last minute requests when they are generally not trading as they will need to get staff at short notice. But don't give me this player welfare crap. We all know how pampered professional footballers are but this takes the pi55, how privileged and entitled are these people? So far disconnected from reality it's unbelievable!
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