Unfortunately the players have been unable to get to the Isle of Man today. We are now trying to get them onto a 7am flight tomorrow morning.
The players were told definitively at 3.30pm today at Manchester Airport that there was no way they would be able to board the last flight to the Isle of Man at 6.10pm tonight. If there was the slightest chance of flying they would have stayed.
FC Isle of Man issued a statement suggesting there was room on the flight and the players refused to return and board it. This is misleading as there was no realistic chance of the players returning to the airport and onto the plane in time to fly when requested.
We are disappointed with the approach they have taken, given it serves only to further frustrate the supporters who have travelled in their numbers to the island. The players care deeply about playing, and having spent many hours waiting at the airport would not have left if they thought there was any opportunity to get on a flight. Many live a good distance away from Manchester Airport and travelled by public transport to get there.
We are acutely aware of how frustrated our supporters will be having spent time and money travelling to the Isle of Man. We want to reassure them that the players and management team did and are doing everything possible to play this fixture.
