'Couldn't have done any more': Portsmouth chief defends Fratton Park postponement amid Ipswich Town backlash
For the second time in 31 days, Ipswich’s visit to Fratton Park was postponed due to the weather
Andy Cullen defended Pompey’s decision to postpone their Ipswich clash and insisted: We couldn’t have done anything more.
To make matters worse, the previous encounter between the Championship clubs was cancelled on January 4, when a frozen Blues pitch was declared unplayable by referee Leigh Doughty.
According to Cullen, January rainfall has been more than double the usual average for Portsmouth at this time of year, severely impacting a pitch expected to stage a third home match in 10 days.
A number of ground machinery had also been used by groundstaff in attempts to ensure the rearranged Ipswich match could be fulfilled.
Regardless, the fixture became the first Fratton Park game to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch for 13 years, much to the anger of many Ipswich supporters.
Pompey’s chief executive told The News: ‘I think we are victims of what’s happening at the moment in terms of the rainfall on the south coast, with wet warnings over the last few days.
‘We’ve had three (scheduled) matches in 10 days and the team has worked really, really hard. The average rainfall in January over the last five years is 90 mm. The rainfall this January has been 205 mm - nearly double-and-a-half of the rainfall we would normally expect.
‘The ground was totally saturated. We all live in Portsmouth, we know it’s a low-lying island by the sea with a water table which is really, really high. So rain gets here really, really quickly and there's nowhere for it to run off to.
‘All three of our home games since January 25 were potentially under threat. We had Southampton, West Brom and then Ipswich.
‘Over the last 10 days we had aerated the pitch, taking it to the depth of 4 inches so it could assist with faster draining, which also helps with root development. We brought in an Air2G2 machine which uses pressurised air which decompacts the soil and helps with drainage.
‘We brought that machine in after Southampton and have been using it constantly. Before the West Brom game, after it, over the weekend and on Monday.
‘We also brought in boundary blotters, which remove the surface water. We had those ready to go on Tuesday morning ahead of the game, but it was no use because we couldn't actually use them until the rain had stopped.
‘In addition, we brought in an additional two pitch lights to help with the pitch’s recovery. The team probably spent the best part of nearly 300 hours on the pitch in the last 10 days between them - but the weather has defeated us in the end.’
Notts County postponement in January 2013
The previous occasion a Fratton Park match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch was against Notts County in January 2013.
In October 2013, a home clash with Wycombe was called off by referee Lee Collins at half-time with the scoreline 1-1 after the ground had flooded, including the players’ tunnel, following ongoing heavy storms.
That represented the first Fratton Park abandonment mid-game since 1955.
‘The groundstaff couldn’t have done anything more’
Cullen added: ‘The forecast was brutally correct, it just wasn’t going to be feasible to get the game with the guidance from the professionals, who are the ground staff.
‘While it wasn’t a decision we wanted to make - we wanted to get the game on - it just wasn’t going to happen. The groundstaff couldn't have done anything more.’