RUFC - The Ref on why the game was called off

Rotherham United's game with Chesterfield was called off earlier today with, what the referee deemed to be a frozen pitch.

Here is what ref, Scott Mathieson told Chesterfield's Official Site. 'I'd been in regular phone contact with Chesterfield Football Club over the previous seventy-two hours. The ground had been sheeted up overnight but when I pulled the sheet back there were particular areas of the pitch that were unplayable. Also, a couple of sheets had blown away during the night that left parts of the pitch exposed and they are solid. The temperatures, at the time, were not lifting and it was still zero degrees and I felt there was no prospect of the pitch being ready in time for kick-off.'

Chesterfield Manager, John Sheridan says he thinks the pitch is fine and that the decision to call off the game is ridiculous. 'We've been out on the pitch and, for me, it's perfect. The referee is talking about one little patch that you can't get a key into but it would take a stud and it seems perfect to play on.

'If I'd been the referee we'd have been kicking off. I wish I'd been here at the time he made the decision because I may have been able to persuade him differently.

'We are all disappointed.'

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