Game V City cancelled

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester-united-vs-man-city-11658139

comment by Boris 'Inky' Gibson (U5901)
posted 46 seconds ago
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3707043/Manchester-United-chief-Ed-Woodward-defends-decision-call-Beijing-derby-Manchester-City-bad-weather-left-Bird-s-Nest-Stadium-pitch-unplayable.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
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That paper doesn't say Woodward called it off.

comment by Boris 'Inky' Gibson (U5901)
posted 3 minutes ago
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester-united-vs-man-city-11658139
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Neither does that paper either.

Just says Woodward defends the decision, and the other one claims Mourinho and Guardiola both condemned the conditions of the pitch.

Both papers intimate that United pressurised the organisers.

comment by Boris 'Inky' Gibson (U5901)
posted 2 minutes ago
Both papers intimate that United pressurised the organisers.
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‘It’s extremely disappointing not to be able to play the game in this amazing stadium, but the recent torrential rain would have caused problems anywhere in the world and has left the pitch unplayable,’ said Woodward

Manchester City will fly on to Shenzhen to play Dortmund on Thursday, and chief executive Ferran Soriano echoed Woodward’s comments about returning to China.

Soriano said: ‘We are very disappointed not to be able to play for our supporters here in Beijing. The players have been working hard in training to prepare for an exciting derby.
'We know how much everyone was looking forward to the game, but we understand that this bad weather is beyond anyone’s control, and that the rain has made it totally unsafe to play on this pitch.

Personally am pleased. I want the first meeting in the prem in manchester where it actually matters. I think we the fans of both clubs deserve that.

Proves how farcical this idea of a "39th Game" is.

comment by Boris 'Inky' Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 day, 19 hours ago
Both papers intimate that United pressurised the organisers.
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Comments from City manager today on the BBC;

Pep Guardiola has been talking more about Monday's abandoned Manchester derby in Beijing, in the International Champions Cup.

He said: "The pitch was unacceptable. We didn't come here for a holiday, we came for two friendly games.

"Maybe there is a lesson - the pitch is the most important thing. Maybe nobody cared about the pitch, it was not about the water, it was because the people (organisers) didn't care.

"We have played on pitches in bad conditions but that pitch was impossible. It was unacceptable."

Fair enough.