Sky Sports pundits in disbelief as Welsh Premier League match postponed because of a kit clash
By Paul Abbandonato

Cefn Druids travelled down in their red second kit for the league game at Cardiff Met


A match in Wales' flagship league had to be postponed on Saturday afternoon - because of a kit clash!

The JD Cymru Premier clash between Cardiff Met and Cefn Druids was called off just minutes before kick-off when the referee decided he couldn't distinguish between the two teams.

Cardiff Met, third in the table and who recently played in the Europa League, play in dark red and were the home team.

Yet for some unfathomable reason the Druids, who normally play in black and white, chose to come down from north Wales with their second choice kit instead - which happens to be red.

Referee Gavin Townsend decided the match could not go ahead in those circumstances and told the teams during the warm-up it was being called off.

A 350-mile round trip, seven hours in a car, an expunged result


Sky Sports Jeff Stelling said, "How soft are you in the League of Wales? Get those shirts off, get that game on. I've never heard of game being called off for this, not at that level."


Cardiff Met were obviously completely innocent parties in the whole affair, yet have ended up out of pocket, with refereeing and security costs still having to be paid.

They are understandably baffled as to why Cefn Druids came down with their second kit, knowing full well Cardiff Met play in a similar colour.

Druids travelled back north immediately upon learning of the referee's decision, a seven and a half hour round trip. Some of their fans, who come from further afield, had to make 10-hour round trips for a game that didn't take place.


Cardiff Met manager Christian Edwards, the former Wales and Swansea City defender, addressed the controversy in a dignified manner, saying it had to be viewed as 'an honest mistake' by Druids.

The referee asked if Cardiff Met could play in their away kit which is white, but that strip was in Edwards' own garage at home and couldn't be fetched in time for kick-off.

"I feel sorry for the supporters who turned up. Some of the Cefn Druid fans had five hour journeys down here."


League officials say the fixture has been rearranged for November 23.

While Cefn Druids travelled straight home, the frustrated Cardiff Met players and coaching staff decided to have a training session instead of the game.

Absolute bollox why couldn't someone drive to a sports shop and buy 11 shirts shocking

UPTHEPORT wrote:Absolute bollox why couldn't someone drive to a sports shop and buy 11 shirts shocking

They put an announcement out over the tannoy, but there was nobody there to hear it.

Can't help but feel there was something underhanded about this by Druids.

In my opinion, strips are changed needlessly throughout football. The default should be the home strip unless there is a colour clash. Mistakes like this would then be avoided.
Take County at Swindon for example: why we changed strip for that one is beyond me. Some say it's contractual, I say it's nonsense. Teams come to RP and don't change their strips (though many do).
I remember around 15 yrs ago, we went to Havant & Waterlooville and ended up wearing Havant's green away strip.

Off the top of my head I think the only time Druids would need to change for a league game would be at Bala.

ComeOnCounty wrote:Can't help but feel there was something underhanded about this by Druids.

Sounds like it was their fault, so they should forfeit the game and/or get docked points, surely.

I have refed in the Welsh league this has happened twice to myself we got the away team to wear training bibs with Square cut off at back for the numbers

FFS! Its not rocket science

What's odd is that this was allowed last season when Llanelli Town played at Cardiff Met.

Cardiff MU play in burgundy I would say,or you may call it maroon,but it isn't dark red.Druids have played them for a few seasons now so should know that a red kit could be tricky.What does surprise me is that MU's kit is stored at the managers house and not on the campus so unable to use their second kit.I do watch MU when we haven't a game,I do enjoy it but,I'm glad we weren't forced into it,crowds of 150ish is the norm for most sides with a lack of atmosphere most of the time.I saw Barry last season to see Touray,a guy sat by me shouted something and a fella in the stand on the opposite side,answered him back so small was the crowd and lack of atmosphere.

Laughable.

Years ago im sure I saw an away team wearing County away kit inside out due to a clash.

newgroundrodney wrote:I remember around 15 yrs ago, we went to Havant & Waterlooville and ended up wearing Havant's green away strip.

Something also happened with us away to Salisbury and ended up borrowing their away kit!

...yet we're in a league where a ref sends off all the ball boys!

County-at-the-races wrote:

newgroundrodney wrote:I remember around 15 yrs ago, we went to Havant & Waterlooville and ended up wearing Havant's green away strip.

Something also happened with us away to Salisbury and ended up borrowing their away kit!

I had finished by then,Gilbert was kitman and he didn't know that every item had to be a different colour.Even though Salisbury played white black white,our black shorts clashed so couldn't play in them.Their blue shorts would have looked odd with Amber shirts and socks so County played in their full change kit.

newgroundrodney wrote:In my opinion, strips are changed needlessly throughout football. The default should be the home strip unless there is a colour clash. Mistakes like this would then be avoided.
Take County at Swindon for example: why we changed strip for that one is beyond me. Some say it's contractual, I say it's nonsense. Teams come to RP and don't change their strips (though many do).
I remember around 15 yrs ago, we went to Havant & Waterlooville and ended up wearing Havant's green away strip.

We did play in green for 6 years when I was kitman.Havant play in yellow with white so AFC would play in the green change strip.I would always take the green if someone played in yellow,in fact if some red kits were lighter,I would take the green then also in case the ref had a doubt.The Druids kitman should have taken their other kit to avoid giving the ref a problem.