Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver is still fuming over his side’s abandoned National League clash at Barnet on Tuesday night.
A frustrated Weaver, pictured, endured a wasted trip to North London with his promotion-chasers when the match was called off at half-time, referee Gary Parsons deeming the surface at The Hive unplayable with the sides drawing 1-1.
Already rearranged from Saturday after being postponed in the face of Storm Dennis, the fixture was penciled in despite a bleak weather forecast.
Weaver accepts the decision to abandon the contest was the correct one but was still insisting on Wednesday that it should never have been played in the first place with the warnings of more heavy rain.
We would like to thank all the Town supporters who travelled to Barnet this evening
We will be liaising with Barnet to ensure all supporters who attended are entitled free entry to the rearranged fixture pic.twitter.com/9FDjbO9aSk
— Harrogate Town AFC (@HarrogateTown) February 18, 2020
Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser: “I think logic has to play a part sometimes. People want games on, and we all wanted to play tonight, but looking at the Met Office, they don’t often get it wrong.
“The forecasts these days are very accurate, there was a strong chance of rain from 7pm and the pitch just wasn’t gonna hold that rain. If it’s not gonna hold light rain, then the game should never have gone ahead.
“It’s a fair judgement at half-time to call it off because if the ball can’t bounce or roll then it’s not a proper football game.
“It’s just frustrating, frustrating for fans who’ve taken half a day off work, and we have to come down here again now. It’s the expense of it all and we won’t be recompensed.
“It’s disappointing. I thought it was daft to be honest but they [Barnet] said there was a strong chance of the game being on because they had people on the pitch with forks and wind-blowers, but they needed more than that, let’s be honest.
“They should have looked at the forecast and should have booked it in for the 24th [of March] as originally proposed, but someone had a re-think on Sunday and, in hindsight, it was a daft decision.
“Safety has to be looked at. A little top up of rain and it was unplayable and dangerous for the players. That’s got to be looked at rather than just trying to squeeze games in.
Consequences
“They needed to get lucky for the game to be played and they didn’t. Now it’s wrecked their pitch and we’ll have to come down and do it all again.”
The Bees have defended the decision to stage the game in a club statement blaming an “unprecedented downpour” throughout the first half after the “excellent and ongoing hard work” from their ground staff in preparing for the fixture.
Following last night’s abandonment, the Club would like to issue the following update. #BarnetFC ?https://t.co/tmdd03v0xy
— Barnet FC ? (@BarnetFC) February 19, 2020
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