REFEREE Carl Boyeson insisted that he had no choice but to call off Blues clash with Barnsley at Oakwell as freezing temperatures wreaked havoc across league fixtures yestrday. The match official deemed the pitch unplayable just two-and-a-half hours before kick-off as Chris Hughton’s men missed out on the chance to continue their fine recent form. Rumours that the undersoil heating at the ground had broken were not verified as the Hull-based referee cleared up the reasons. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mercury, Boyeson said that both club’s assistant managers, Colin Calderwood and David Flitcroft, agreed with his decision. “I got a call at 10.45am from the Barnsley secretary saying that there was a problem,” he said, “I was asked to get to the ground as quickly as I could. We went out about 12.15 and looked out at the two areas which were causing concern, one down the sideline and one at the end in front of the goal where shade was covering the grass. “I walked the pitch with Colin Calderwood and David Flitcroft. “When they asked me the answer I told them that it didn’t have a chance and both representatives were in agreement. The areas of concern were frozen solid. “I believe that the temperature got down to as low as minus 11 in the area overnight. They have got undersoil heating but to what extent that protects the pitch, I’m not aware. “Covers sometimes protect the pitch down to temperatures of about minus four, and undersoil heating takes it to less than that. “But there obviously has to be a cut off point when it gets down to such low temperatures.” Boyeson also sympathised with the Blues fans, some of whom had got all the way to ground before they found out that it was called off. “My sympathy goes out to fans from Birmingham City who have travelled to watch the game, but my concern is player safety.”
http://v2.barnsleyfc.org.uk/showthread.php?164078-Refs-point-of-view-re-postponement did you piss your pants with excitement and not bother to read any other posts?
Yeah course a did, av been busy all day not been on here and cba to trail through every other post ok
It was and has been for most of the afternoon near the top so you didn't have far to look and there might have been a clue in the title heading.
So he got a call at 10.45.....Would have been nice to give a warning on the website/radio etc at this time so people could keep checking. I've been to see Hull KR at Wakefield today, and fair play to them, Wakey and Rovers kept updating over the internet every few mins as pitch was checked at 9, 10 and 11.30. People like us could keep checking before setting off.
It was posted on official site at 11am and all over twitter and Facebook just after that a pitch inspection was planned
