Rochdale Match OFF After Pitch Inspection

Spotland on a more pleasant day

It's another match called off at Rochdale I'm afraid this season, with tonight's postponement making it a total of seven 'Dale games unable to take place due to state of the Spotland pitch in the current League Two campaign. The home side can't be faulted for the original rescheduling of the game to today though as it was United's involvement in the Football League Trophy final at Cardiff on the 2nd of April that caused the rearrangement in the first place.

Unsurprisingly, considering the huge amount of rain that has come down in the last 24 hours, a pitch inspection was called for 1.30pm. A local referee had little option but to call the game off after checking the playing surface, with the area in front of the, ironically named, Sandy Lane End causing particular concern.

'Dale have had trouble with the pitch all season, with the drainage system seemingly failing. Rochdale Hornets Rugby League club also ply their trade at Spotland, and we all know what having a gang of egg-chasers scrambling about for 80 minutes does to a football pitch. With 'Dale having already almost got a full programme of midweek games the only likely date for the rearrangement of this fixture is Tuesday the 2nd of May, four days before the end of the regular campaign. However with work scheduled to start on the Spotland surface on that date it seems likely that the pitch improvements will need to be put back a day, or United will face a Thursday fixture.