Blues 'furious' after controversial cancellation

Leek Town officials were left furious after their clash with league leaders Grantham was postponed this weekend - adding to their fixture pile-up.

The referee called in to inspect the playing surface deemed the pitch unplayable at 10.15am - a decision which Leek's groundsman described as the 'biggest travesty' in his 39 years at the club.

Mindful of the fine that club could incur if the game was to be called off with the visiting team already present, Leek club secretary Bryan Wain organised the inspection after heavy rainfall and plunging temperatures in the area.

However, the club were left shocked when the 'perfectly playable' pitch was deemed unsafe for players.

Blues officials are now left to count the cost of the postponement, and Chairman Andrew Wain has expressed his shock at the decision.

"We did everything right in arranging a pitch inspection as a precaution, but the referee does not appear to have applied common sense to the situation," he said.

"The pitch was playable at 10.30am and by noon it was perfect - the best condition it has been in for two months."

A club spokesman also said that the referee was 'unwilling' to discuss his decision with any Leek representatives.

The postponement - the fifth in seven games at Harrison Park to fall victim to the weather - only adds to Leek's potential fixture headache. They currently have four games awaiting a new date, and have just twelve weeks of the season left to play their remaining 18 fixtures.

Elsewhere in the league on Saturday, eight games went ahead, resulting in Leek sitting ninth in the table, still only seven points off the play-offs despite having played up to five games less than their rivals.