Football game cancelled over 'goose droppings'

A football match in Ashford, Surrey, was called off after "goose droppings" led to the pitch being deemed unsafe (stock image)

A bank holiday football game in Surrey had to be cancelled at the last minute after the pitch was deemed unsafe due to a "large amount of goose droppings".

Spelthorne Sports and Wembley FC were forced to abandon their match in Ashford on Monday after Canada goose droppings were discovered on the pitch.

A spokesperson for Spelthorne Sports apologised to fans, adding it had had faced an "influx of Canadian geese" but that all of its other games had gone ahead as planned.

A Wembley FC spokesperson said its opponents "should be doing their utmost to resolve the issue" in response to claims from Spelthorne that they had "refused to play" over the droppings.

In a statement on its website, Spelthorne said it had been facing issues with geese since the beginning of the Combined Counties Division One season on 26 July.

It added: "We cannot be the only club to have wildlife visiting the pitch and am sure other teams have had similar experiences."

The match was cancelled after being initially delayed for 10 minutes in order to clear the pitch of droppings, Spelthorne added.

Both teams said they had contacted the league for further clarification.

The FA was also approached for comment.

The Canada goose forms "noisy flocks" and "can be seen as a nuisance in areas where large numbers gather in parks and green spaces", according to the RSPB website.