Elgin City’s Scottish League Two clash with Cowdenbeath cancelled because small area of pitch deemed ‘too dry’ by referee
Fans furious after match postponed an hour before kick-off after nine-week drought in the area leaves the match official unhappy with a corner of the Borough Briggs pitch
WHEN it comes to a football pitch being deemed unplayable, it’s usually due to being waterlogged or frozen.
Elgin City, who play in the fourth tier of Scottish football, produced a rather different reason for postponing their match against Cowdenbeath on Saturday...the pitch was too dry.
The League Two match was called off an hour before kick-off with referee Gavin Ross unhappy with a corner of the Borough Briggs pitch surface.
A club statement apologised to both sets of fans while explaining the reason for the postponement.
It read: “Elgin City FC wish to announce that today’s match v Cowdenbeath FC has been cancelled by the match referee. This is due to a small area of the pitch being deemed unplayable.
“This is down to the continuous dry conditions experienced in the local area over the summer.”
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Those dry conditions refer to a nine-week drought in the area which had impacted upon the club.
Visiting supporters would have undertaken a 340-mile round trip for the game, while social media users voiced their frustration, with one calling the club a joke and another suggesting they buy a hose.
Elgin chairman Graham Tatters told BBC Scotland: "It's a nightmare as people are here for the game.
"It's an issue with the top-left corner of the pitch. It has been starved of water with no rain in nine weeks.
"There's no real growth. The grass there is going brown and there's bit of gravel left from sand that had been put down.
"I can do many things, but I can't make it rain."
Elgin are scheduled to host Stirling Albion next Saturday. Keep an eye out for club officials doing a rain dance this week.