Steve Curwood requires answers
Steve Curwood believes the referee was right to call off Town’s game at Wycombe Wanderers on Sunday – but wants an explanation as to the timing.
Mr Davies, the match official, took the decision to postpone the match 20 minutes before kick-off at Adams Park - with the pitch being frozen over from the night before.
However, Curwood is confused as to why the Cod Army were left to wait until 2.40pm – when the fans had already arrived – before the game was deemed unplayable.
“I think it was the right decision in the end (to call the game off),” said Curwood. “The pitch was bone hard and unplayable. We’ve arrived at around 12.30 and it was rock hard like a car park. Two ground staff were present on the pitch and just brushing the white surface with brooms and a leaf blower.
“The concerning element was that nobody made Fleetwood Town nor the referee aware at any stage that the game would be in doubt when it was obviously in doubt from the word go in the morning.
“Nobody informed our football club until we arrived at the ground. We will be asking questions as to why that was the case and why our supporters have had to travel so far down the motorway while the team has arrived here, and the game’s had to be called off twenty minutes before kick-off.”
Curwood pointed to the fact the Chairboys have under-soil heating at Adams Park which could have allowed the game to take place.
“They have undersoil heating which is perfect for getting games on, but this was not used overnight, they claimed because an overnight frost wasn’t forecast, but to not get any information concerning this until after dinner time is slightly bewildering,” said Curwood. “We’ll find out a little bit more as to why that was the case in the next day or so, but I suspect that no one has even checked the pitch until almost dinner time as we would have been informed far sooner. The undersoil heating was then put on, at what time I don’t know , but undersoil heating for me is to prevent frost not cure it in a couple of hours. Once the pitch was frozen this game should have been called off at 09.00, or earlier ,to stop all the unnecessary upheaval for our fans, and even Wycombe supporters, who’s afternoon was also wasted.
“We’ve got a hundred fans or so who came down and left their friends and families behind in a bad fixture really. There’s a lot of clubs having to travel up and down the land in between Christmas and New Year and that’s what they do best.
“They went down to support the club and to get that nod just before kick-off is a kick in the teeth. The club has done all we can and we want to know why nobody has let us know why this game might be in doubt many hours before kick-off.”
Fleetwood will now turn their attentions to the Sky Bet League 2 home fixture against Accrington Stanley on New Year’s Day, although the postponement leaves Town with a game in hand on their nearest rivals.
“It was keen for both clubs to get points on the board, and for us to bounce back from the Morecambe game but it wasn’t to be,” said Curwood. “Our focus now is to get three points against Accrington.”