A disappointing turn of events for all involved - Bath City FC, Ebbsfleet United, and their dedicated fans. We had our hopes up on Friday evening, believing the match could proceed as planned. However, a heavier-than-expected overnight frost threw a wrench in our plans, leading to a series of discussions and differing opinions.
Ebbsfleet United shares our sentiment, and we're glad to hear they agree with the decision to postpone. While an earlier call might have been beneficial, we're confident we followed the necessary protocols.
Here's a breakdown of the day's events:
At 9:00 a.m., an assessment of the pitch revealed that the overnight frost had left the field frozen in certain areas. Considering the day's forecast and the limited daylight hours, we anticipated a high risk of postponement. With the match referee located three hours away, we decided to bring in a local referee for an inspection.
Arriving at 10:30 a.m., the local referee confirmed the pitch was frozen but opted to wait for the match referee's arrival, hoping to give the game every chance of going ahead.
At 1:15 p.m., the match referee arrived and made the call to postpone the game.
Bath City FC apologizes for any inconvenience caused and regrets that the match couldn't proceed as scheduled. Balancing the desire to play and the need to postpone early to inform supporters is a delicate task. Given the uncertainty at the time of the first inspection, despite our doubts, we believe we made the right call. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans, and while opinions varied on the path to that decision, both clubs unanimously agree that player welfare was the priority.
Rest assured, we'll provide details on the rearranged fixture as soon as possible.
