Yeovil Town Chief Executive Martyn Starnes has admitted that there is only so much that a set of frost covers can achieve. As the Glovers prepare for tomorrow's pitch inspection that will give an idea of whether Boxing Day's game at Huish Park against Brentford can take place, Starnes has told BBC Somerset that they only provide a degree of protection against the elements.
Football League ground regulations for the 2010-11 season required all clubs to have frost covers or similar at their stadiums that can be utilised in wintry weather, and Starnes told the BBC that was the reason for the money being spent at the club:
"We've had to invest in covers as it's been a requirement of the Football League anyway. So we've invested in the frost covers, but with the weather being so severe, those frost covers have been largely delinquent in terms of the support that they can give to us."
If the Brentford match fails to survive the weather, then that would leave the Glovers without a game until New Year's Day at least, given that the December 28th fixture against Sheffield Wednesday has already been called off. Starnes adds that is not a disaster, but is certainly not what the club wants:
"We'd be able to cope. But we certainly hope it doesn't continue into January. We're hoping that we'll get the game on for Boxing Day, but the pitch is still covered in snow and we're in the hands of the weather over the next few days as to whether we'll be able to put the game on."
In terms of the odds of tomorrow's pitch inspection getting the thumbs up, the BBC Weather forecast for the Yeovil area is not the most optimistic. They are forecasting overnight lows of -8C, -12C and -10C in the lead-up to Boxing Day, with the daytime temperature stuck around -1C. Whilst frost covers may help insulate from air frosts much in the same way as putting a cover over a car windscreen will help, they will not fully protect against deep sustained ground frosts. Fingers crossed that the BBC forecasts are not as pessimistic as they sound.
Comment on this News Item on Facebook
or Go back to Top of Page
|
23 December 2010 : 
