After the women’s super league match, players and managers expressed their anger Chelsea and Liverpool On Sunday, the pitch was canceled after 6 minutes due to freezing.
The pitch was inspected at 9:30 am on Sunday and the match started at 12:30 pm despite the presence of snow on the ground.
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Both managers expressed their disappointment at the decision, with Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes saying the game “should never have started”.
“You could see from the opening minute that it was like an ice rink on the side,” Hayes said told the BBC After the match was postponed.
“It’s not for the managers to decide whether it’s active – it’s up to the FA and the officials. We have to tell ourselves it’s time to heat the ground. We have to take our game seriously. Yes, we can take our blowers. And the pitch tent but It is not enough.
“I get it; we have to prioritize player safety. We’ve made progress across the league by investing in the quality of grass and surfaces. No game should be called off at the top level of the women’s game. We need to heat the clay — we don’t live in Barbados.”
Liverpool manager Matt Beard echoed the same sentiment told the BBC After the match: “They said several times about players slipping. Players from both sides slipped. Like I said before, the game should never have gone ahead.
“They were going to give it a chance, so that was the explanation. It wasn’t safe there. [the dugout side]. There were patches in the center and other areas. I guess that’s where their heat was [it thawed]But that wasn’t the case for most of the pitch.”
😂😂 On a serious note, one of Europe’s top leagues and we are canceling games due to frozen pitches. Not good enough, the women’s game is moving in the right direction but still has a long way to go. https://t.co/I7Da1PqMl7
— Beth Mead (@bmeado9) January 22, 2023
Players across the league also spoke out on social media after the match, demanding better conditions for the women’s game in England.
“On a serious note, one of Europe’s top leagues and we are canceling games due to a frozen pitch. Not good enough, the women’s game is going in the right direction but still has a long way to go,” the England and Arsenal forward. Beth Mead said on twitter.
Arsenal team mate Vivianne Miedema posted: “The safety of the players must always come first. Fortunately no one was injured today. The only way to fix this is to heat the clay or play our games in men’s stadiums.”
Chelsea defender Kadesha Buchanan She said in her Instagram story that there is a lack of respect for female footballers in England.
“It’s heartbreaking to have games/training canceled due to frozen pitches across the league. Like Bruvs, we play in a cold country. We should have heated the pitches too. Where are our ratings as women footballers? They don’t rate us honestly,” she said.
Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert He later apologized to the fan saying on twitter: “So very sorry to all our fans who braved the cold weather to come today. It shouldn’t happen and we will demand more for our game. Angry and disappointed but we will be ready for Wednesday.”
Chelsea and Liverpool are both set to play in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Wednesday, with Chelsea facing off Tottenham And Liverpool are playing West Ham.
