King: Totton call should have been made earlier (From Dorset Echo)

King: Totton call should have been made earlier

8:19am Monday 14th January 2013 in Sport By Adam Summers

COMMON sense should have prevailed prior to the Terras’ postponement at AFC Totton on Saturday, according to Brendon King.

Staff, players and fans all made the journey to the Hampshire outfit, only for the game to be called off just an hour and a quarter before kick-off due to an unfit playing surface.

Boss King told Echosport: “I think it was touch and go in the morning when they held a pitch inspection.

“It wasn’t raining that heavily at that point but looking at the forecast and the surface water that was everywhere on the way up, we knew it wasn’t going to be played.

“We eventually got there only for the referee to walk out on to the pitch with a ball and call it off after just 30 seconds.

“A bit of common sense should have prevailed really, especially when you have players and fans travelling up for what turned out to be a wasted trip.

“We had lads leaving Devon at 9am and I know some supporters had travelled up by train, so it was a bit frustrating all round really.

“I think Totton were also a bit weak in terms of personnel as well but at the end of the day no one controls the weather and you just have to put it down to one of those things.

“The only good thing was it wasn’t too far to travel back.”

The postponement was one of just two in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division where Weymouth remain sixth but are now four points adrift of the play-offs.

The Terras are scheduled to host second-placed Leamington tomorrow night (7.45pm), which promises to be a cracking encounter. However, there are fears the weather could intervene once again.

King added: “There was a little bit of water lying on our pitch over the weekend and as a consequence we had to postpone our reserve-team game.

“If the temperature drops as it is supposed to do this week and it becomes a bit icy then it could be a problem again tomorrow but we will just have to wait and see.

“Hopefully that won’t happen because it is a massive game and one we are all very much looking forward to.”