Rochdale pitch update ahead of tomorrow's league clash

Rochdale has provided a pitch update ahead of tomorrow's scheduled Enterprise National League encounter at the Crown Oil Arena.

Their statement is as follows:

Rochdale Football Club can provide the following pitch update ahead of Tuesday night’s Enterprise National League match against Scunthorpe United.

The playing surface continues to hold water and has become fairly saturated. The pitch was covered on Sunday and will remain so until Tuesday afternoon. Given the relatively warm temperatures for the time of year, the covers cannot be deployed continually over a number of consecutive days, as the grass plant is still in growth and constant covering restricts airflow to the grass. 

However, given the pitch’s level of saturation before the covers were put on, and the rainfall forecast over the next 24 hours, particularly during the match itself, we have concerns about whether the match will go ahead.

It is not within the club’s control to call a postponement of the game. That is the sole responsibility of the match referee. However, we would like to ensure that any fans intending to travel to the game can make as informed a decision as possible before doing so.

As a result, we are sharing our view today that we have strong doubts as to whether it will go ahead in the circumstances we have detailed above. We are not able to provide any certainty one way or the other at this stage, as much will depend on how the pitch drains under the covers over the next 24 hours and the weather on the day itself.

We have been in contact with our counterparts at Scunthorpe and The National League, who are fully aware of the ongoing situation.Any supporters who decide not to attend in light of this statement will be provided with a full refund. Fans can request a refund on their match ticket by emailing [email protected]. Please be aware that these refunds will only be processed following the conclusion of the match, whether that is this Tuesday or on a rearranged date.