Ipswich Town have reportedly ruled out the possibility of handing Blackburn Rovers an uncontested goal when the two sides replay their abandoned Championship clash.

The original match at Ewood Park was halted in the 79th minute due to torrential rain leaving the pitch waterlogged, with Rovers 1-0 up at the time. Last month, the EFL decided the fixture must be replayed in its entirety rather than resumed from where it was stopped, despite just over 10 minutes of normal time being left on the clock.

Blackburn strongly opposed the ruling, arguing the game should continue from the 79th minute with their lead intact, but their appeal was dismissed. The decision has already caused frustration among the Lancashire club and its supporters. According to Sky Sports, Ipswich have no intention of allowing Rovers to start the rearranged fixture with a goal advantage. The report also notes Blackburn have made no official request for such a gesture—and Ipswich would reject it outright even if they did.

While rare, there have been past examples of clubs voluntarily conceding a goal in the name of fairness. One of the most famous came in 2019 during a fiery Championship clash between Leeds United and Aston Villa. After Leeds scored while Villa players had stopped with an opponent down injured, Marcelo Bielsa instructed his team to stand aside and allow Villa to walk the ball into the net.

Such sportsmanship won’t be repeated when Blackburn host Ipswich again. In its statement on the abandonment, the EFL explained:

“The EFL Board has today determined that the Sky Bet Championship fixture between Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town should be replayed in full following its abandonment on Saturday 20 September. The fixture was abandoned in the 79th minute after the referee took the players off the pitch following a sustained period of heavy rainfall, which caused the playing surface to become unplayable.”

The governing body added that the board had weighed every possible option under the regulations and listened to both clubs before reaching a majority decision to order a full replay. It stressed that the ruling was made to “protect the integrity of the competition” and follow established precedents.

The EFL acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and confirmed clubs will be consulted on developing clearer guidance for future abandoned fixtures. A new date for Blackburn’s clash with Ipswich will be confirmed once both clubs agree on scheduling.