It should have been a weekend where all the talk was about matters on the pitch and what had the makings of being a mouth-watering Championship clash.
Instead, confusion and frustration reigned for the best part of Friday, before confirmation that Nottingham Forest’s trip to Bournemouth had been postponed eventually came at about 4pm.
There are still unanswered questions. Chief among them why the call that it was “game off” came so late in the day, when plenty of Reds fans were either already on the south coast or well on the way.
And why there was a lack of communication to supporters in between the Cherries making a statement late on Thursday evening - which suggested the match could be in doubt - and the official postponement announcement.
Some would argue that as soon as Bournemouth was included in a Red weather warning on Friday, regardless of what time it was due to expire, the decision should have been made. Fans shouldn’t have been put in a situation where they had to contemplate whether or not to make a journey which potentially involved putting themselves at risk.
Forest had already made the trip. They travelled on Thursday, feeling refreshed after almost a full week to prepare, keen to make a statement in the race for promotion.
They are understood to have been eager to get the game played this weekend, mindful of the efforts supporters had made to get there and the fact there is little space in the calendar to squeeze in rearranged fixtures.
“We are extremely disappointed the match will not now take place this weekend. The club tried its very best to have the match played,” they said in a statement.
On Thursday night, there was some talk the match could be moved to Saturday - its originally scheduled date, before being moved to be shown live on Sky TV - if Friday at 7.45pm wasn’t possible.
That still looked like potentially being an option on matchday morning.
Once structural damage to the stadium caused by Storm Eustice was cited by Bournemouth, however - having occurred during the day - that changed the situation.
There is said to be damage to the Main Stand roof, while some of the damage to the stands is said to be internal. Bournemouth said supporters could be put at “significant risk”.
A structural engineer was called to assess the situation. As soon as the engineer’s safety report recommended a structural review of the damage to the roof, it is believed the length of time that would take effectively ruled out staging the game on Saturday.
Added to that, a cherry-picker would be required to carry out repairs and to check for further damage. It is understood Bournemouth were not prepared to put staff at risk by using that in the high winds - with more also forecast for tomorrow, meaning they would still have the same problem.
There are a lot of factors involved in making any decision over a postponement, particularly when the match was due to be screened live on TV. Nobody would want the safety of anyone - players, staff or fans - who had been due to attend, put at risk.
But there is plenty of justification for asking why nothing was officially said about the situation sooner.
Early Friday afternoon, it is understood Forest thought they were still due to play that night, having been keen to get clarity early in the day. The game hadn’t officially been called off.
When it was, Bournemouth said: “Structural engineers have carried out an inspection of the stadium and have confirmed that the damage could pose a significant risk to supporters’ safety.
“The ongoing impact of the storm means the damage cannot be repaired in time either to fulfil the fixture on Friday, or at a re-arranged time on Saturday.
“The postponement was recommended by the club’s Safety Advisory Group.
“A new date for the fixture will be announced in due course. All purchased tickets will be valid for the rearranged fixture, but all supporters will be eligible for a refund if unable to attend the new date.
“The club apologises for the inconvenience caused by this announcement, but would like to reassure supporters it has been made with the safety of everyone due to attend the match in mind.”
Forest fans were, quite rightly, left furious at the lateness of that announcement.
The English Football League said in an initial statement: “The decision to postpone AFC Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest was reached on Friday afternoon following a recommendation by the local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) after the Vitality Stadium sustained damage as a result of the developing weather conditions.
“The EFL has been informed that the impact of the storm means the issues cannot be rectified ahead of the scheduled kick-off or at a rearranged time on Saturday.
“Earlier in the day it had been communicated to the League that they had hoped the fixture would be able to take place and both clubs and Sky Sports were making their final preparations.
“We are extremely disappointed that the decision has been left so late in the day and, whilst we acknowledge safety is the number one priority, consideration in these circumstances must be given to all stakeholders in plenty of time, including the travelling supporters who have braved today’s conditions to go and support their team.”
And they went on to add in a second statement later on Friday evening: “With the EFL now in receipt of the prohibition notice issued by the local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to AFC Bournemouth, it is clear that the extent of the structural damage to the stadium, alongside the challenging weather, means that repair work to make it safe for spectators could not be carried out today.
“Whilst our collective focus is always on getting games played, the serving of the notice, despite the best efforts of Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, has ultimately led to tonight’s postponement.
“The League will now look to work with both clubs to re-date the fixture at the earliest opportunity.”
It is to be hoped that decision is arrived at sooner than the one which saw Friday night’s game cancelled.
