CONFUSION reigned at Braywick on Saturday, as Maidenhead RFC’s highly anticipated league clash with Salisbury was called off at the last minute due to a partially frozen pitch.
The problem was, Maids were extremely keen to play the game, Salisbury were not, and the referee refused to intervene.
Maids coach Tony Brooks explained: “We wanted to play and they didn’t.
“Their captain said they had a couple of injuries and only had a small squad – and they didn’t want any more.
“But we had a training session on the pitch before the game and it was fine.”
However, while he respected Salisbury’s decision to cry off, he found it harder to understand the referee’s reluctance to get involved.
He said: “The referee was effectively passing the buck.
“My understanding is it’s down to the captains, and if they can’t decide it’s the referee’s decision.
“It was very evident he didn’t think the pitch was fit to play on, but he kept saying it wasn’t his decision and that his jurisdiction only began when the game started.
“It put us in a very awkward position, so in the interests of the club we reluctantly agreed to call it off.
“It was a disappointment, but such is life.”
Salisbury’s press officer Stuart McArdell confirmed there had been considerable confusion on Saturday, but reiterated his side’s reluctance to play was entirely due to the icy conditions.
He said: “When we went out on the pitch we found it was frozen in parts.
“Despite the blazing sun, where the ground had been rucked up, the side facing the sun was fine, but on the other side it was iced solid.
“Our captain Don Parsons expressed his concerns to his opposite number, but he thought it was playable.
“They called the referee across and he said it wasn’t up to him.”
Allegedly, the referee then suggested the teams could start the game and stop in the event of an injury.
McArdell continued: “We’re an amateur club. We have players who don’t get paid when they’re off work, so our captain said no.”
In Salisbury’s defence, virtually every other game in the area was also postponed.
However, one notable exception was Maidenhead 4ths’ Thames Valley League clash with Shire Hall, which went ahead as planned at Braywick, on the markedly inferior 2nds’ pitch.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Maids take on Abbey at Braywick, kick-off 2.15pm, with the players seeking revenge for a galling reverse in the corresponding away fixture back in October.
Having led 17-8, Maids were goaded into a second-half brawl which saw two players from each side red-carded.
Unfortunately, Maids failed to adjust and paid a heavy price, conceding 24 unanswered points on the way to a 32-17 drubbing.
However, Brooks was not present at that game and does not regard tomorrow’s clash as a grudge match.
He said: “It is going to be tough but it’s not a revenge match.
“We’re just hoping for a good game.
“We’re playing well, we have a strong side and as long as we get our tactics right I don’t see why we can’t get a win.”

Maidenhead’s director of rugby and former 1st team coach Simon Edwards this week scotched rumours of an imminent move to Marlow RFC.
Edwards, who is now in charge of the South West Division under 18 set-up, commented: “I am not joining Marlow. It’s just a rumour and I don’t know where it started.
“I doubt if I’ll ever return to full-time coaching at club level; it’s too time consuming.”