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A National League showdown between Barrow and Forest Green Rovers had to be abandoned just 14 minutes into the contest, due to the impact of Storm Beolo.
The pitch at Furness Building Society Stadium underwent pre-match pitch inspections by the referee and his team, with Forest Green tweeting 30 minutes before kick off that “The general consensus at the stadium is that the game will go ahead after the referee's lengthy pitch inspection.”
However, once the first whistle blew, it was apparent that the playing surface was waterlogged and visibly holding up the ball, and the officials had no option but to call off proceedings when it became clear that the state of the pitch was having a severe detrimental impact on the match.
Barrow vs. Forest Green Rovers abandoned
Barrow came into the game looking for a fifth straight National League win to bolster their playoff charge, and they made the perfect start when Isaac Marriott netted with just 15 seconds on the clock.
The Bluebirds' manager Adam Murray credited his team's performance in the brief spell the game was on, noting the mentality that it took to retain the initiative given the conditions they were playing in.
The 45-year-old also had praise for the referee and the officials, who he said were keen to give the match every chance to go ahead, noting that they made the “Correct decision” to abandon the fixture given the weather seemed to get significantly worse in the moments after kick off.
Barrow later released a statement on their official website, thanking everyone involved in organising and preparing the Furness Building Society Stadium for the match, as well as fans in attendance:
“The Club made every possible effort to ensure the fixture could go ahead, with our ground staff working tirelessly to prepare the pitch and give the game the best possible chance of being played.
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to our ground staff for their considerable efforts, alongside the supporters of both clubs who braved the conditions to attend this afternoon's fixture.”
As for Forest Green Rovers, they labelled the weather as the “Deciding factor,” and shared their sympathies for their travelling supporters, many of whom had made a four-hour drive from Nailsworth to Barrow:
“We understand this is very frustrating for the FGR supporters who have travelled to Barrow today. We wish you all safe travels back home.”
FGG Says: Fair play to the referee, unlucky for fans and Barrow
Storm Beolo and the related adverse weather are impacting football across the UK, with the National League South showdown between Weston-super-Mare and Billericay – as well as the Scottish League One match between Cove Rangers and East Kilbride – also called off.
Barrow will be frustrated with having to restart the game at 0-0 after getting ahead in the opening minute, and supporters will understandably be disappointed having travelled to the ground in spite of the conditions, but the reality is that the weather was too severe to overcome.
The referee and ground staff at Furness Building Society Stadium deserve credit for wanting the game to go ahead, though some will question the decision not to postpone the match before kick off.