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Fan astonished at 9th tier match ‘being forced to play on soaked pitch due to fixture backlog’

A non league fan has been left astonished at a 9th tier match being forced to play on a soaked pitch due to a big fixture backlog.

Daniel Turner turned up for the Eastern Counties League Premier Division clash between Ely City and Walsham Le Willows on Friday night.

But he couldn’t believe that the full 90 was played, tweeting throughout the game: “1-1 here at Ely, be surprised if this game sees out 90 mins.

“Miraculously this game is still being played , now a few mins into the 2nd half. Absolutely crazy.

“This is currently the situation the backlog of fixtures is causing, this should of been called a long time ago but because both teams have a backlog of fixtures the referees are being left with no choice but to play on in unsafe conditions.

“Can’t believe what I’m seeing.

“It’s finally over!! 1-1 the full time score, walsham player just splashed on the pitch.”

Ely City said prior to kick off that the pitch was looking well, and no pitch inspection planned, before heavy downpours happened mid-game.

Walsham Le Willows tweeted: “Difficult conditions the pitch has sitting water covering most of it.

“The ball is hardly rolling on some areas of the pitch.”

The game ended up finishing 1-1, Harry Farrow breaking the deadlock for Ely just five minutes in before Jack Brame got an equaliser mid-way through the first half.

The rain came down with 108 fans present inside the ground along with the players and staff getting drenched.

One of the players for the travelling side didn’t seem to mind however, going a big run up towards a large puddle after the final whistle and had the slide of his life, as can be seen below…

Talking of a fixture back log, Sandhurst Town of the 10th tier have been left with nine games to play in eight days in order to finish their league season on time – subject to change following more postponements.

There are more matches than days left before the end of the Combined Counties Football League Division One campaign on Saturday.

A series of postponements has left the club with just nine matches before the 22nd of April.

Sandhurst’s burden was lessened on Thursday after they suffered a 2-1 loss at home against league leaders Berks County.

Six of the nine remaining matches have been posted on the website. The remaining three fixtures that were postponed are yet to be scheduled.

Sandhurst currently has six games scheduled in the next eight-day period, up until the final day of their season. If they don’t face further postponements, an extension will be needed to finish the last three matches.

On the 13th of April, @Ollie_Bayliss wrote: ‘Due to postponements, Sandhurst Town are now in the impossible situation of having 11 games to play in 10 days.”

The FA has granted extensions to the season for leagues at Step 5 & 6 of non league (8th and 9th tier of English pyramid):
– Tue 25 April for Step 5 clubs potentially involved in promotion/relegation
– Mon 1 May for Step 5 clubs not involved in promotion/relegation
– Mon 1 May for Step 6
– Mon 8 May for Step 6 playoffs

For clarity: step 6 leagues now have until Mon 8 May to complete playoffs (this doesn’t mean that all scheduled Step 6 playoff dates have now been moved.)

In addition, any clubs at Step 5 & 6 who are experiencing ground-related issues can have that ground altered by their respective league.

This is what Twitter users said with a fan astonished at the 9th tier match being forced to play on a soaked pitch due to fixture backlog…

@JamieMartin0308: How is that being played 😭🤣

@CarparkStone: That’s fine if it’s the last game of the season. You play on that and you won’t play your following couple of home games because you will have ruined the pitch

@NeilSmi18427195: This is brilliant. Proper football. Refs need to stop calling games off at a whim in winter and just crack on with it. Jealous that I wasn’t there.

@whitwell_matt: Referee always has the last word. What do you mean they have no choice?

@neil_morrison26: Fixture back log is not part of refs problem. Should never have played on in them conditions

@dribblingcode: Looks ‘safe’ to me – if both managers and sets of players are happy, then why not crack on?

@Roquej85: The referees do have a choice. Ridiculous

@FcStratford: Leagues are not interested in player safety they get bonuses from the FA to complete on time

@Ek_ollie22: Of course the Referees have a choice, they are liable for the safety of the players…

@groundsmendean: How is the ref letting that happen? There’s player safety not alone damage. We have had a terrible winter it’s one of them things.

@jasonpo32079402: It’s not rocket science if the ball doesn’t roll no game oh look just seen some ducks

@twofatfeet: Shouldn’t be the ref’s problem if there’s a backlog. If the pitch isn’t playable you don’t play.

@blundenm8: State of non league atm 🤣🤣🤣

@TheRefereeForum: Of course the referee had a choice. They made the wrong one to allow this game to go ahead under what I am sure would have been immense pressure from many sides. Hopefully a lesson learnt for this ref not to crack under pressure and make a poor decision to make others happy.

@RibbleBlue; This is absolutely barmy – I hope the league will be finding a new pitch ???? Idiotic decision to have that game on

@TomRoberts_: You don’t play on this, no matter what the league situation is. This referee would have chosen to postpone.

@BallackSrfc:
The officials have a job and they are failing here massively.
Someone defend this decision on here, I’m waiting.
Absolutely shocking that players safety is being risked like this.

@werekickingoff: That game should absolutely not be being played. If it was me, I’d be telling the league I am not going ahead with the game regardless of what pressure they put on me. It’s just too dangerous.

@drh1971: I can’t believe what I’m seeing or reading here. Safety takes priority over anything else and I’m not privy to any conversations that may have been had behind closed doors, but for that pitch to be playable in the UK is shocking.

@OakmanAlfie: All because some of the powers from above can’t use common sense and extend seasons further…even a week or two. Clubs can’t help the weather

@darlobluebird: Pitch will take weeks to recover……

@Manna24223979: How is this being played must be a windup ?

@Loucoll73: Wtf? I hope no one gets injured. That ref is a disgrace. As a former firefighter I wouldn’t dream of putting players safety over fixture backlog for anything!

@RhysDavies54: What wanker in this says “relax” followed by “fucking hell” hahaha has he seen the state of the pitch

@DillonGascoigne: This game should have been abandoned. The referees should not be playing games because of the backlog teams have from the weather. What if someone had seriously injured themselves cause of the pitch conditions? We all want to play. Just when it’s safe to do so.

@CTonComms: Any referee who has agreed to play on a pitch should be stood down immediately. What credibility can they have? Utter farce.

@DanielW200301: Think it might have been studs out there tonight.

@Chez_CRAFTY: Jesus Christ 😂😂

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