A new development has emerged in the decision-making process of the English Football League (EFL) regarding the abandoned league fixture between Ipswich Town and Blackburn Rovers from last weekend, drawing comparisons with a similar incident involving Leyton Orient and Lincoln City in a previous season.
The recent match at Ewood Park was called off by the referee after 80 minutes due to heavy rain, leaving uncertainty surrounding how the result should be determined. As of now, the EFL is considering three main options to resolve the unfinished game: restarting from the 80th minute with the scoreline unchanged at 1-0 in favor of the hosts, organizing a complete replay of the match, or declaring the result as it stood at the time of abandonment.
Initially, both Ipswich and Blackburn had submitted their suggestions on how the outcome of the fixture should be decided, putting the league in a dilemma. However, recent reports indicate that the EFL could look to the precedent set by Leyton Orient and Lincoln City, where the abandoned game was rescheduled in full following a serious incident involving a fan.
Blackburn has reportedly advocated for completing the final minutes or being awarded the victory outright, whereas Ipswich is in favor of a full replay from the beginning, potentially benefitting from the return of a suspended player, Jacob Greaves.
Considering past instances where abandoned matches were replayed entirely, such as Luton Town’s encounter with Bournemouth during their Premier League campaign in 2022/23, it appears restarting the game in full is the probable outcome. While this decision may disappoint Blackburn’s hopes of a quick resolution in their favor, it could offer Ipswich a chance to capitalize on the replay and potentially enhance their promotion ambitions.
Ultimately, whatever ruling the EFL reaches in the Ipswich and Blackburn situation, it is likely that not all parties involved will be completely satisfied with the outcome.
