EFL to fully investigate ‘appalling’ Hull vs Watford development: ‘I find it amazing’
The EFL are set to launch a full investigation into the postponement of Hull City’s clash against Watford on Sunday afternoon.
That is according to ex-PMGOL chief and former FIFA referee Keith Hackett, who has exclusively told Football Insider that the decision regarding the game taking place should have been made before 11am.
Instead, Hull announced the postponement 18 minutes before kick-off, with both sets of supporters flooding into the MKM Stadium, and both teams out warming up on the pitch.
While the playing surface was deemed to be fit for the game to go ahead by referee Anthony Backhouse, the areas surrounding the pitch were judged to be potentially unsafe for the players.
Keith Hackett left disgusted amid Hull and Watford statements
Watford have since issued a statement via their X account in the aftermath of the postponement, and they made their frustrations clear regarding the decision.
The Hornets said that they were “disappointed” by the decision, and outlined that they were ready to play the game. They also insisted that they never agreed to the cancellation, which contradicts Hull’s earlier statement suggesting that all parties were in agreement.
Javi Gracia’s men were already going through their final preparations ahead of kick-off when the postponement was confirmed, and they offered gratitude to their “inconvenienced fans” in the aftermath.
Hackett has shared his outrage at the events and has also made it clear that he expects the EFL to launch a full investigation into how it was handled.
“For this decision to be made with spectators in the stadium having travelled across the country is frankly appalling,” the former official exclusively told Football Insider.
“The match referee should have been in a hotel close to the stadium overnight. The club secretary should be aware of the location of the Watford team and the time that their supporters are leaving to watch the game. That is when the first decision should be made.
“Ideally, (for a 3pm kick-off) 11am should be the cut-off point to make a final call. I find it amazing what happened at Hull, and there needs to be a full investigation.
“The boundary to the playing area doesn’t suddenly become a risk. This may not happen again.”
Rearranged game crucial to Championship play-off race
The Championship is shaping up for an exciting play-off race as always, and the rearranged game between these two teams could be crucial in deciding how that race finishes at the end of the season.
The clash between Hull and Watford was a meeting between the division’s fifth and fourth-placed teams, but the duo have only slipped to seventh and sixth respectively after the rest of Sunday’s matches.
Both sides are still firmly within touching distance of both the play-off positions and Middlesbrough in the final automatic promotion spot, and that will outline the clash as something of a ‘six-pointer’ when a new date is eventually found.
Watford now need to focus on channelling their anger into performances that will help them to continue their strong run, while the EFL work behind the scenes to find out the true sequence of events.