City looking to get back on track after Sphinx postponement - The Worcester Observer

City looking to get back on track after Sphinx postponement

Worcester Editorial 9th Feb, 2019   0

WORCESTER CITY chiefs have vowed lessons will be learned after last Saturday’s clash with Coventry Sphinx was postponed less than an hour before kick-off.

Blue and Whites bosses issued an apology to fans 48 hours after the gamble to allow the winter sun to thaw out parts of the Victoria Ground pitch failed to fully come off, despite two pitch inspections.

A local referee was called in at 11am for the initial inspection which took half an hour to complete, with concerns over both goalmouths and an area in front of the east stand which had been in the shade.

City chairman Steve Goode and senior club figures spoke to their counterparts at Coventry Sphinx and knowing the sun was due to go higher and move further around, all parties agreed to wait for the match referee to arrive to inspect those areas of concern.




Officials hoped the delay would allow the pitch further time to thaw and contacted the match referee who was due to arrive earlier than normal to carry out a further inspection.

While the February sun helped thaw out some areas, the match referee discovered an area off the pitch by the corner flag at the south end which he deemed dangerous for anyone running up to take a corner kick.


In a statement, the club said: “Despite both clubs’ officials and both sets of players believing the pitch was perfectly fine and playable the referee took the decision to call the game off.

“We can only apologise to our supporters for this and the miscommunication on the day and as a club we will learn from this moving forward.”

City will now take on Sphinx on Wednesday, March 6 (7.45pm).

The Blue and Whites travel to Loughborough University this afternoon looking to improve their position in the Midland Premier Division.

John Snape’s men currently sit ninth in the table with games in hand on all those around them and know a win in the East Midlands against their opponents who sit just above the relegation zone could kickstart an end-of-season surge.

After Saturday’s trip, City will be on the road again on Monday (February 11) for their MFL Cup quarter final against Romulus (kick off 7.45pm)

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