U's "devastated" by Sheffield United postponement (From Gazette)
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U's "devastated" by Sheffield United postponement
10:20am Monday 6th February 2012 in Colchester Utd By Jonathan Waldron
Pitch battle - Colchester United attempt to get the sun to their Weston Homes Community Stadium pitch on Friday afternoon but it was to no avail as their game with Sheffield United was called off. Picture: STEVE ARGENT (CO54649-01)
Colchester United general manager Tim Waddington admitted the postponement of their game with Sheffield United was “devastating” for the club.
The U’s were expecting a bumper crowd of more than 6,000 at the Weston Homes Community Stadium for the visit of the high-flying Blades, which would have been their biggest of the season.
The League One fixture was called off on Friday lunchtime, following a pitch inspection by appointed match referee, Trevor Kettle.
Although covers had been on the pitch for several days, they were unable to prevent a 20-metre area of the pitch near the South Stand from being frozen solid.
Waddington said: “It’s devastating.
“We would have done anything to have got the game on in terms of the profile of the match, the attendance we were expecting and the cash a fixture such as this generates but it was the right decision.
“The North Stand was going to be sold out and unfortunately, we could lose between 1,000 and 1,500 off the gate now.
“Games against the likes of Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic have such prominence and they draw more people in.
“The floating fans will come to a game like that on a Saturday afternoon, because it’s a big draw.
“From a commercial perspective, we had also put a lot of things in place for a big job, which included the mascot race for charity.
“It’s so frustrating but you can’t control the weather and it was the right decision.”
See Monday's Gazette for more on this story and all of the latest Colchester United news.
Comments(12)
lollardknight
says...
11:42am Mon 6 Feb 12
You always get what you pay for! With the total cost of the stadium what would another £150,000 have been on top of it!! It would have been an investment ......but then we did waste £150,000 on Joel Thomas...
Unofficial_Us
says...
3:02pm Mon 6 Feb 12
jut1972
says...
3:05pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Dug
says...
12:31pm Tue 7 Feb 12
jut1972 wrote:Just what I thought too.
I'm not sure many floating fans would have turned up anyway, it was bloody freezing.
Steve1210
says...
1:32pm Tue 7 Feb 12
Matthegame
says...
3:27pm Tue 7 Feb 12
super waluigi
says...
5:04pm Tue 7 Feb 12
Matthegame wrote:LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
Why didn't the club hire a dragon to breath (an appropriate amount, health and safety permitting) of fire onto the pitch before the game. It's not like nearly every other game in the bottom two divisions was also called off. It shows Cowling doesn't care about us anymore, if he still feels any love in his heart he will employ dragons to stand pitchside throughout winter and blow fire at Jack Frost.
LLLLL
Class
wellnow
says...
8:52am Wed 8 Feb 12
wearebeingwatched
says...
1:01pm Wed 8 Feb 12
wellnow wrote:It is one game this season (thus far) that has been postponed and it is not like we were the only game called off, I think only 5 games (may have been 4) in the lower leagues went ahead. And some of the called off games were in new or newish grounds
where it's built and how it was built will haunt winter games always.
Boris
says...
11:14pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Dug wrote:My grandsons and I would have turned up. If it is rescheduled for half term week or the Easter holidays, we'll still turn up. If it is rescheduled for a normal school week, they can't go, so I'll be getting our tickets refunded.
jut1972 wrote:Just what I thought too.
I'm not sure many floating fans would have turned up anyway, it was bloody freezing.
Sparkfilms
says...
7:16pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Colchester United won't be the only club that have to shed a large number of their current squad.
The cut backs will have to include non playing staff too if the books are going to be anywhere balanced.
Tough times ahead.
Wordsworth is the player being considered by a number of clubs and I do not expect him to be here next season.
If the game goes ahead at Walsall he will be watched again.
Charlton like him, also Sheffield United.
click2find
Feisty CBC says...
11:29am Mon 6 Feb 12