There's a Dons fans panel meeting on Monday 30th July.

Has anyone got any questions they would like asking?

Are we obliged to show the game time clock on the scoreboard because it nearly cost us today. It is inaccurate and IMO a proper distraction.

I've previously asked whether the time shown can be linked with the official clock as it's confusing for everyone to have a time shown that can be out by so much. I'll raise the matter again tomorrow night.

The matter was discussed at the meeting on Monday night.

Carl said that the clock on the small scoreboard in the east stand is normally stopped when there are hold ups in play but that scoreboard wasn't working on Sunday.

All the players are aware that the Big Screen time clock isn't likely to be accurate so that won't be influencing their on-field decisions. Richard Horne normally sits next to the official timekeeper so accurate messages about the time remaining are passed onto the players.

Whilst the east stand clock isn't the 'official clock', it's the one that gives us the best guide as to how long is left. It should be working at future home games.

It isn't actually possible to link directly to the 'official clock' though. This would seem to be the best solution. The club are required by the RFL to make an announcement to ensure no one is misled into believing the stadium clocks are 'official', which I believe we do.

Personally, I'd like to see the RFL have an initiative to sort this whereby all grounds outside Super League are linked to the 'official clock'.

Jane Keighley will be writing the full minutes of the meeting shortly. Either Baz, Wanderer, or myself will post the minutes when we receive them.

Thanks DM for raising the issue. It is frustrating that there are only a few people in attendance at a RL game that know accurately how long has been played and how long is remaining given the man in the middles decision(s).

Well they get it right to the second on the TV.
What's wrong with a stop/start clock that the timekeeper has control over and we can all see?
Is it all done on a stopwatch?
Because just starting a digital clock off at the start of each half and leaving it to run irrespective of stoppages is pants in this day and age.

Anyway ... they announce the score ... ie communication exists ... so at the end of 80 minutes on the clock/s why can't they announce the stoppage time thus far?
Is that so hard?

There's obviously some technology used in Super League games to link the 'official clock' to the scoreboards. The RFL haven't had the foresight to use the same technology at our level. That would solve the problem once and for all.

Super League have GPS monitoring of players. I suspect there's a computer program linked to this monitoring that also includes keeps track of the time. When the cup semi-finals have been played at the Keepmoat the main scoreboard has shown the correct time remaining then. Maybe the timekeepers at our level do still have stopwatches?



Providing the east stand clock is working, and stopped when there are injuries, we should be able to get the time right to within a few seconds normally. It's just frustrating when the game seems to go on forever after the 80 minutes appear to be up, as was the case last weekend.

Indeed ... when your side is under the pump and leaking tries and holding on ... time left is vital info.
I was going incandescent ....

That sort or this sort

You can bet Sky foot the bill for that accuracy. The RFL may stump up an egg timer for League 1

I couldn't stop laughing at the egg timer thought!

Yes the timekeepers have their own stopwatches for official timing of the game. That is the ones who have them, many teams turn up without one these days, we have even been to away games where the home team didn't have one. Don;t know what they do when the away team don't bring theirs. Luckily ours is a trooper and a stalwart

Personally I would turn the clocks off in the stadium with 5 minutes to go if they can't be accurate. I believe the score board operating system isn't as close to a place you can view the pitch as you'd imagine