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Archived News from January 2023

NORTHAMPTON GAME POSTPONED DUE TO FROZEN PITCH
27th January 2023 23:52


9.45am, Sat 21 Jan 2023

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Our Sky Bet League 2 fixture with Mansfield Town has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. Match referee Geoff Eltringham checked the pitch on Saturday morning following a sharp frost on Friday night and ruled conditions were unplayable.

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On the postponement, Nigel Clough told iFollow Stags, 23Jan2023

"Yes it (a feeling of disappointment). And when it comes on the day of the game as well. I'm not sure why everyone leaves it so late when the weather forecast is minus five, and if your pitch is frozen on the Friday, it's more than likely going to be frozen on the Saturday as well."

"George Maris is upset, because he's got another week being suspended."

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Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough unhappy with late postponement of Northampton Town game​​​​​​​
chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Mon 23 Jan 2023

Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough was disappointed it was left until the morning of the game to call off Saturday's trip to Northampton Town.

The Sixfields pitch was deemed unplayable due to the frost, but Clough said: “It is always disappointing when it comes on the day of the game rather than when they are postponed early on the Friday, which the Grimsby one was and most of them that week.

“I am not sure why everybody leaves it so late when the weather forecast is that it's going to be minus five.

“If the pitch is frozen on the Friday afternoon then it's more than likely going to be frozen on the Saturday as well.”

https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-boss-nigel-clough-unhappy-with-late-postponement-of-northampton-town-game-3998441

The cancellation at least gave the three new players more time to integrate.

“It didn't do them any harm. The only one upset is George Maris as he has another week being suspended,” said Clough.

“Apart from that, the injured lads were not too disappointed and the new lads as well.”

But it did leave Stags with a blank weekend. “We couldn't do anything,” he said. “We trained on the artificial pitch on Thursday and Friday. But some players with injury history are not able to train on that surface.

“So it wasn't ideal. It was a weekend off and then back to work on Monday, albeit again on the artificial pitch.”

Stags at least got some midweek action into their legs in a 4-1 away friendly win at Barnsley with Will Swan bagging a hat-trick and George Maris the other.

“We had arranged it to give a game to players who needed minutes and those coming back from injury,” said Clough.

“Most of the first team squad went. It was actually due to be on their training ground, which is next to Oakwell, but that was frozen so Michael Duff arranged for us to go on the main pitch which was in great condition.

“We were very grateful and we got a good game in on a good surface.

“Danny Johnson played the first 45 minutes, then Will Swan came on for the second 45 and scored a hat-trick in quite a short space of time.

“Alfie Kilgour played 70-odd minutes, the same for Kieran Wallace and those who needed it played the full 90.”

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Brady stresses need to be adaptable as weather plays havoc with Cobblers' training schedule
‘We were ready to play and we wanted to play.’

northamptonchron.co.uk, By James Heneghan

Jon Brady has stressed the importance of being ‘adaptable’ as the brutal wintry weather continues to cause havoc for football clubs all across the country, and the Cobblers are no exception.

Northampton’s Sky Bet League Two fixture against Mansfield Town at Sixfields on Saturday was one of nine games postponed in the division after temperatures dropped to minus eight overnight, causing parts of the pitch to freeze.

"We were ready to play and we wanted to play," said Brady. "There would have been a really good crowd in and we had prepared ourselves to play.

"I've experienced this before in my career and some people might say that winters were a lot colder years ago but I just think some seasons can be like this and other seasons aren't.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/brady-stresses-need-to-be-adaptable-as-weather-plays-havoc-with-cobblers-training-schedule-4000272

"We're just going through a cold spell at the moment and we have been hitting minus eight, minus nine in the last few days and anything over minus four causes problems, even with the sheets on the frost can get through to the pitch.

"I saw the Saints the other day and what the Premiership do is absolutely brilliant and it means they can get their games on, but to have the finances to do that across the EFL would be huge.

"It is what it is and we have to adapt and find a way - everyone is in the same boat.”

Not only is the weather causing matches to be postponed - another three in League Two were called off on Tuesday - but it’s also disrupting Town’s training schedule as they prepare for this weekend’s trip to Barrow.

"You're prepped and ready to go for the game and then it's called off, but even then you can't get on the grass because it's completely frozen,” Brady added.

"You have to get into the gym and do some bike work or certain other things to keep the bodies ticking over because you have prepped them for match day.

"It's about how best you can do that and how to get them ready for the next match day. It's just part of football and part of football. Things get called off and you have to be ready for the next challenge.

"You can't sit around moping about it. You have to get on with it and make sure you're ready for the next game."

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