WSL: Chelsea v Liverpool postponement after six minutes 'embarrassing'

The postponement of Chelsea v Liverpool six minutes into their Women's Super League game due to a frozen pitch has been described as "embarrassing".

The game - live on BBC Two - had kicked off as scheduled at 12:30 GMT at Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames following an earlier pitch inspection.

But just six minutes had gone when referee Neil Hair took the teams off, deeming the pitch unsafe.

Reds boss Matt Beard said the decision to kick off risked players' safety.

The sequence of events on Sunday - starting with a 09:30 pitch inspection and ending with players slipping over and disappointed supporters being addressed by Chelsea boss Emma Hayes - was widely criticised by the managers and pundits, as well as players on social media.

Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert said she was "angry and frustrated" about what had happened.

The Football Association and WSL said the referee had initially deemed the pitch unplayable following the first inspection, but changed that decision after a second inspection before the players' warm-up, after a pitch cover and heaters had been used.

"However, shortly after kick-off, the referee made the decision to abandon the match in order to protect the safety of the players, which is paramount," a statement said. "We sincerely apologise to all fans who travelled to the match."

According to the FA, the decision on whether a pitch is safe to play is only decided by the match referee and not the league or competing teams.

Speaking to BBC Sport immediately after the postponement, Hayes said the women's game must be taken more "seriously", while Beard said: "It shouldn't have been played in the first place."

The Liverpool boss added: "Whoever made the decision for the game to be on, it's put players at risk today."

Hayes said it was "time for undersoil heating" at all WSL games, adding: "The game should never have started."

Chelsea had been hoping to extend their four-point lead over Manchester United at the top of the Women's Super League.

"It's not for managers to decide if it's on - it's up to the FA and officials," Hayes added. "We have to say to ourselves that it's time for undersoil heating. We've got to take our game seriously. Yes, we can have our blowers and pitch tents but it's not enough."

Beard said he raised concerns with the referee beforehand about the match going ahead.

• More reaction to the abandonment plus news from other WSL games

• Chelsea game with Liverpool off after six minutes

Analysis

Jo Currie, BBC Sport reporter at Kingsmeadow

In all my time covering the Women's Super League, this is one of the weirdest set of events I have witnessed.

It was my understanding that at the 09:30 referee's inspection, the pitch was deemed unplayable. This was confirmed by Matt Beard after the game. It seemed only a matter of when, not if, the game would be called off.

Before kick-off, areas off the pitch certainly looked like they were still solid.

Beard says he told the referee the game was not safe to go ahead, but the match kicked off anyway.

In terms of player safety, there were two main issues.

The surface was so hard in places that if any of the players had fallen heavily, they could have suffered a serious injury or a concussion.

Also, the covers were still on the pitch 45 minutes before kick-off, so could they have had time to do a proper warm-up?

Many questions will be asked about how this game was ever allowed to kick-off. The one thing that is clear however, is it should never have gone ahead.

"Chelsea have done everything they can to try and get the game on," Beard added. "I'm surprised it kicked off at 12:30 because we got told this morning that we could try and kick off the game at 14:00, but we got the phone call to say that the game was back on at 12:30. I was a bit surprised.

"The temperature was not going to change all day. It's only going to get colder now."

Former England and Brighton manager Hope Powell echoed the two managers' sentiments, saying the situation was "embarrassing" for the game.

"They should have cancelled it before. The pitch was hard and it was a bit dubious whether it would go ahead or not. But to actually start the game and then five minutes into it realise it was dangerous, [with] too many players slipping, I think is very embarrassing.

"It is not a good look and it's a shame for everybody here today."

She added: "This is a worst case scenario. It's embarrassing for the league, for the players and everybody involved."

The FA's timeline of events

• First pitch inspection at 09:30, when the pitch was covered and heat blowers were being used

• Pitch deemed unplayable. However, it was agreed to inspect it again closer to kick-off, following the further use of a cover and heaters

• Before kick-off, the referee then deemed the surface playable

• The pitch continued to improve, and the covers were removed as late as possible before the warm-up

• At the start of the warm-up, the pitch was again inspected and found to be playable at that time. Match kicks off

• Soon after kick-off, with temperatures still around zero degrees, the pitch deteriorated and for reasons of player safety, the referee abandoned the match

'Not good enough' - reaction

Former England player Fara Williams, who was working as a BBC pundit, added: "It should have been called off before the girls had come on the pitch."

Other big names have been quick to have their say on the abandonment on social media.

England and Arsenal's Beth Mead said the situation was "not good enough", while her Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema wrote: "FA and clubs, please do better."

And here is what some fans had to say in the BBC's live text coverage:

KinGK2323: "Great by Emma to address the fans and I'm 100% with the Liverpool manager. Why wasn't this called off at 09:30? The women's game is evolving but not enough. Underground heating and VAR needs to be invested in. Let's keep pushing forward and not let off the gas."

LPESSN: "Growing the game but sometimes we really don't do ourselves any favours. The pitch was frozen at 09:30 this morning, the pitch was frozen during the warm-up but a decision is taken six minutes into the game!"

Sian: "Nobody wants the players at risk but it sounds like the pitch inspection wasn't done particularly well earlier. Not surprised it's called off but when fans have travelled and players are warmed up, it just makes it frustrating when the match gets started and then postponed."