The pitch was too dangerous to play on, says Warrilow

TONBRIDGE ANGELS boss Tommy Warrilow says today’s second-versus-third showdown at Staines Town should have been postponed at 11 o’clock - to prevent a wasted journey from Kent, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Angels would have leapfrogged over the Swans into second place in the Ryman Premier League table had they won at Wheatsheaf Park today - but a white covered frozen pitch prevented the game going ahead as match referee, Mr Mark Mellor postponed the game just FIFTY minutes before the kick-off.

Staines based referee Mr David Belbin had deemed the frozen pitch PLAYABLE following his 11 o’clock pitch inspection - and Mr Mellor passed it for a SECOND time a couple of hours later.

Despite the Angels warming up as though they would be in action at three o’clock to win this vital game, after consulting Warrilow and his counterpart, Steve Cordery, and club officials out on the frozen pitch, the Hemel Hempstead official called the game off at ten past two.

The temperature at the ground, based at Wheatsheaf Lane, meanwhile, was MINUS 1c at ten minutes to three.

Warrilow, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, said he was surprised that his side actually travelled to Wheatsheaf Lane, especially as the cold snap had postponed EVERY OTHER Ryman League game.

“I think we were the only game that was on in the league,” he said. “I spoke to Steve (Cordery) earlier this morning and I was surprised it was called on at eleven o’clock.

“We’ve tried to give it a go; you can’t play - it’s too dangerous.

“There’s areas; I mean, we had a bit off keep ball at the end and a couple of lads were slipping around in these areas.

“You walk around a pitch with your moulds on, it is dangerous, and the ref said ‘if you’re not happy with it and you think it’s going to be dangerous, just let me know,’ and I logged an appeal saying ‘I’m not happy with it.’

“We’ve been out there a good twenty minutes, so we’ve been out there long enough to gage it and it’s only going to drop, the temperature, as well.

“So to be honest the ref should have called it off, not relying on myself or Steve but when I saw the ref he was in agreement and he said ‘no, we’re not happy with it either now.”

Having put on his boots and walked on the frozen playing surface, Warrilow felt his players could have been injured had the game gone ahead.

“When I came out with my boots on, I didn’t think it needed to go that far,” he argued. “Like I say, I’m here to look after my players and I’m not here to make friends. Unfortunately we’ve done the hard bit, we’ve got here, we wanted to play, but I’m not going to play in those conditions.

“It is frustrating because I knew it wasn’t going to be on. I mean, to be honest, it’s better how I thought it would be, but it’s still not playable.

“There’s a little bit of frost on the pitch, which is helping, but that frost will disappear and that’s when it becomes dangerous.

“It is frustrating for everyone, supporters, yourselves (the media), us. Lke I say when you see every other game in our league being called off, surely common sense would prevail.”

When the game does go ahead, on a midweek date to be arranged, fans will be in for an excellent game of football between two sides that are chasing runaway leaders, Dover Athletic.

“I understand Staines have got a fixture backlog and want to get the game on, but you want to play in a game of football not smashing balls around just trying to get up the pitch,” said Warrilow. “We wanted to play and I don’t think that could have happened today.”

But the game should have NEVER passed it’s first pitch inspection - four hours before the scheduled kick-off - as our photograh below shows.

“I think it was avoidable mate, but it’s just one of those things,” said Warrilow. “We’ve done the hard bit, we’ve come here but I would’ve liked to have played, but you can’t play out there Steve.

“It’s not the worst in the world, but its (was) going to get worse.

“We had it (treacherous frozen conditions) against Ramsgate, we played in conditions like this and it doesn’t benefit anyone who wants to knock the ball about.

“We haven’t got the biggest squad in the world and this is the sort of day people could get injured. I had a chance to avoid it and it wasn’t an excuse.

“I’d rather come here on a Saturday than a Tuesday night but I’ve done what’s best for my boys and Tonbridge.”

A game like this deserves to be played on a decent playing surface to allow two good sides to show their talents to an excited crowd.

Meanwhile, Cray Wanderers confirmed this afternoon that their match referee will inspect the Hayes Lane pitch as 12 noon on Sunday to decide whether their Ryman League Division One South game against Leatherhead will go ahead or not.

There was only ONE game played in Kent today and that was the Kent League game between Erith Town and Croydon, at Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead. That game, however, ended in a goal-less draw.

However, thanks to www.kentishfootball.co.uk updating our fixture list as and when matches were postponed, the club attracted their largest crowd of the season, through our publicity.

Another Kent League game did take place, but that was over in east London as Norton Sports came back from a goal behind to beat pointless hosts, Sporting Bengal United 3-1.

Visit Tonbridge Angels’ websites:  www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk & www.tonbridgeafc.co.uk

THE BIG FREEZE:  Tonbridge Angels’ game at Staines Town was called off 50 MINUTES before kick-off, despite passing TWO earlier pitch inspections
Photograph taken by Stephen McCartney - www.kentishfootball.co.uk - by mobile telephone