Frozen pitch forces postponement of Bury's basement battle with Scunthorpe (From Bury Times)

Frozen pitch forces postponement of Bury's basement battle with Scunthorpe

1:43pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Sport By Craig Nelson

TONIGHT'S crunch League One relegation clash between Bury and Scunthorpe United at Gigg Lane has been called off due to a frozen pitch.

Referee Mark Haywood made the decision at 1.30pm today after performing a pitch inspection.

A spokesman for Bury FC said: "It's very frustrating but there was no way the match could have gone ahead.

"The problem is all along one side of the pitch underneath the South Stand.

"The stand leaves that side of the pitch in shadow, so it never gets any sun on it and there is a six-foot strip all along that side that's just frozen solid.

"We hoped it would thaw out, but our concerns were raised throughout the day as the temperature at pitch side just hasn't risen."

It is the fifth match of the season at Gigg Lane that has had to be postponed due to pitch conditions.

A league match against Carlisle United and a Johnstone's Paint Trophy quarter-final tie against Preston North End were cancelled due to waterlogged pitches before the turn of the year.

Then two league matches were called off in January - against Sheffield United and Stevenage - due to frozen pitches.

Each postponement can cost the club thousands of pounds in policing fees and opposition transport and hotel costs, which must be reimbursed depending on how close to kick-off the match is called off.

Bury are now waiting for the Football League to set a new date for the basement battle.

They are currently bottom of the table, eight points behind Scunthorpe, who sit one place above the relegation zone.