BRAINTREE Town and their supporters were left frustrated after their scheduled televised game with Dulwich Hamlet at the Dunmow Group Stadium was postponed, writes DAVID WARD.

Despite a tremendous early morning herculean effort by Iron fans and other volunteers to try and get their National League South game on in front of the BT cameras on Sunday lunchtime, the referee finally called the match off an hour and a half before kick-off, having felt that parts of the pitch were too frozen.

It was a bitter disappointment for the Iron camp, with the time and expense involved in putting the game on.

Gazette:

But the referee, who had come from Manchester to officiate the game involving an overnight stay, called the game off at 11am having made earlier pitch inspections at 8.45am and 10am.

He said the Quag End, the opposite end to the clubhouse, was too still risky to have the game played.

He admitted had they been able to delay the kick-off until 3pm it may well have started but because of the BT cameras and their timetable, this could not be altered.

Gazette:

Iron manager Angelo Harrop was disappointed the game failed to go ahead and he said both his staff and players wanted the match to start, at the scheduled time.

Naturally the Dulwich Hamlet manager and players having arrived at the Dunmow Group Stadium made it verbally clear from the start they didn't want the game to go ahead because of the hard surface which was frozen in places.

So despite the extensive arrangements and lengthy preparation work, which involved catering for more than 30 television crew members, the game was officially called off.

It will now have to be rearranged for a midweek date, in the New Year.

Next up for the Iron is an away trip to Farnborough in the FA Trophy, next Saturday.