Teer calls on IFA support to combat frost causing havoc

His plea comes after his side’s third successive match over the holiday period was postponed due to a frozen Mourneview Park playing surface, costing the club thousands in lost revenue.

Just two games out of a scheduled 18 took place in the Carling Premiership over the Christmas period with both being played on Crusaders’ new 3G surface. Teer says that the postponement of the holiday fixtures could have been avoided had clubs been able to protect their pitches from the extreme conditions.

“I have been thinking of something like the covers they can wheel out at Wimbledon during the tennis and maybe its an idea that the IFA could help to grant aid clubs to get something like this,” he told the ‘MAIL.’

“It’s very important to clubs that they have continued revenue and most clubs have suffered badly over this holiday period. It could have been avoided if we have proper protection for the ground but that costs money that would be outside the scope of most clubs.

“It could certainly be something for the IFA to look at. The problem is the frost and you don’t have to spend millions of pounds to combat that. Our club will certainly look at it. If our winters are going to continue like this one which, with global warming, they could, it’s something you have to consider and that the authorities could maybe look at.”

Match official, Eamon Shanks, carried out a pitch inspection at Mourneview Park on Saturday morning ahead of the afternoon’s scheduled clash with Newry City but decided that the pitch was unplayable and called the game off. Despite his early doubt, Glenavon chairman, Adrian Teer was content the pitch would still have been unplayable come 3pm that afternoon.

“Eamon Shanks was called in to look at the ground and when he called the match off at 11.30am, I had thought we were in with a chance,” he began.

“However, come 3pm, his decision was vindicated in my view. It had clouded over and the ground had got considerably harder so, at the end of the day, I think it was the right decision.

“It certainly doesn’t help things from a financial point of view. After the Boxing Day derby and the Distillery match having been called off and with no junior football taking place on Saturday, I think our gate would have been considerably higher than even we were expecting.

“When the game is replayed on a Tuesday evening, the gate won’t be anywhere near as big I wouldn’t think, but that’s life at the minute.”

Another method of combating those losses has been identified by some as a switch to a summer season but Teer isn’t convinced that the change would help solve any of the league’s problems.

“Our board has the view that football is a winter sport in Northern Ireland and there are too many complications to be trying to play through the summer with players going on holidays, supporters playing cricket or away at caravans,” he told the ‘MAIL.’

“There are too many distractions. Also, if you look at the League of Ireland, who play through the summer, they had quite a few games called off because of weather conditions last season so it wouldn’t necessarily solve that problem.

“We’re traditionalists in Northern Ireland and I don’t see any reason to break with this tradition. They say that people are more willing to come out on a summer night but then there are other things to do on a summer night too.”