The following statement was released on www.theshots.co.uk after the match was called off at the break with the Shrimpers leading 1-0 due to a Liam Dickinson penalty.
Chief Executive Peter Duffy updates supporters on the circumstances surrounding Boxing Day's abandonment versus Southend United.
The Boxing Day npower League 2 fixture versus Southend United was abandoned at half time due to a floodlight failure.
It was evident prior to kick off that a problem was being experienced when the pylons were powered on. During the course of the first half we were unable to manage both pair of pylons in operation at the same time due to an electrical issue. There was also additional concerns with the safety lighting within certain sections of the stands. The referee, Gavin Ward, was kept informed of the situation via the Fourth Official who was in regular dialogue with the Match day Control Centre.
Despite valiant efforts from the duty electricians the situation was not able to be resolved to the satisfaction of the referee before the commencement of the second half. In consultation with the senior members of the match day operation and safety team the referee advised that the match would not be able to continue without full lighting being operational. We fully support this procedure as health and safety has to be our primary concern.
At the time when the game was called off there were a few minutes when it wasn't clear if the match had been abandoned. We apologise for some confusion that arose when the information was communicated in an endeavour to keep fans informed whilst clarifying with the referee if he was abandoning the match immediately or providing more time at the interval for the problem to be worked on. However, on the correct advice of the safety people it was determined that the match would be immediately abandoned before resuming play in the second half. There was no other decision that could be undertaken.
We apologise to supporters who may have been inconvenienced by the abandonment as we were all looking forward to this festive fixture.
As soon a new date is confirmed we will make the relevant announcement via the appropriate media outlets including the ticketing and pricing arrangements.
We hope you enjoy the remainder of the festivities and look forward to seeing as many fans as possible for the visit of Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Eve which will commence at 1pm.
Peter Duffy
Source: FOOTYMAD
