A LOT been written and said since last Tuesday’s match against Scunthorpe United was called off late in the day.

I is with this in mind that I felt it only appropriate that we put across the facts of what happened on the day rather than the speculation and conjecture that I had read on the internet and in the local press. Having staged several hundreds of matches during my time at the club we are experienced in putting on games here at Roots Hall.

Of greatest importance is to state that football clubs have no right to call off a game – this can only be done by the Football League or their appointed referee as per their regulations. As the hosting football club we have a commitment to do all in our power to give the match the best chance of going ahead; but ultimately the final decision is left with them.

A lot has been said about why the game wasn’t called off the day before when games at bigger clubs like Arsenal were. The Met Office forecast in Southend for Monday afternoon and into the evening was for heavy rain which would have all but cleared the snow from Roots Hall. Indeed when I left the ground the day before that prediction seemed correct but as we now know the rain didn’t come in the anticipated volumes leaving a large amount of snow on Tuesday morning.

Scunthorpe’s manager Nigel Adkins attended Roots Hall at 10.30am on Tuesday and agreed with the club’s football management that game should be played if the snow could be cleared as the pitch was soft beneath the snow which had acted as insulation against any frost.

The snow was melting as the temperature had risen in line with the forecast and snow clearance picked up as more staff and supporters worked together to clear it. At several points during the day weather forecasts were taken which showed a range of temperatures substantially above freezing well past the time that the game would have finished.

The referee arrived at the ground at 1.15pm to carry out an inspection advising that provided the snow was cleared the game could go ahead with the additional proviso that if temperatures dropped below freezing then the game would be called off. Scunthorpe fans were due to set off at 2pm and were advised of the referee’s decision - the final decision as to whether they should travel was very much up to them as they had all the necessary information to decide. The referee stayed all through the afternoon and inspected the pitch on several occasions and did not deviate from his earlier decision.

Both managers inspected the surface from 6.00pm onwards and agreed that it was in a playable condition and they wanted to play the game. The referee also made an inspection of the pitch about the same time and apart from the areas where the linesmen run felt that the game could be played again subject to the temperature not dropping. At 7.10pm a final inspection took place after further work had been carried out on the touch lines. Following this he decided that those areas were unsafe for the officials and that there remained on the pitch a small number of iced snow patches, about the size of a hand, which he said would be a danger to a player if they froze. Weather forecasts still showed temperatures well above freezing.

Finally he took the decision to call the game off and we immediately announced it to supporters.

I do not need to be reminded of the cost implications as costs are always at the top of my agenda and also of those that assist me in the club’s administration. I am available at any time to speak with supporters and am happy to meet with them or talk with them on the phone or correspond by email – whatever they choose.

The work put in on Tuesday by staff of the club and supporters was immense – pity being that it was called off for the reasons above and that work that went into it was not appreciated by everyone.

Up the Blues

Geoffrey King

Chief Executive