http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Sport/Sport-headlines/Histons-big-crowd-cash-boost-gets-washed-out-as-Skrill-North-match-with-Boston-United-is-postponed-20140102070100.htmHiston's big-crowd cash boost gets washed out as Skrill North match with Boston United is postponed
Written byMICHAEL VAUGHTON
Histon could potentially miss out on £2,000 following the postponement of their home Skrill North encounter with Boston United yesterday.
The fixture at the Glass World Stadium was called off after match referee Robert Ellis assessed the playing surface at a 1pm pitch inspection, with the pitch deemed playable earlier in the day before more rain fell over the course of the morning and into the afternoon.
The Boston players and management were not far away from the ground when the decision was made, while the Pilgrims were bringing two bus loads of supporters.
And with the match now set to be rescheduled for a midweek evening, the Stutes appear likely to have missed out on a bigger-than-normal crowd in the region of 600 and a decent pay day.
The club and the referee did do all they could to get the game played, but it could not go ahead.
If the game had gone ahead it would have been David October’s last game of his loan spell from Ipswich Town, and there are currently no plans for the deal to be extended.
And Peter Grant would not have been available for selection after he was recalled from his loan stay two days early by Peterborough United.
“The squad’s without any injuries and we’re looking really healthy,” said the Stutes’ assistant manager Ricky Marheineke. “We’d have been without Peter Grant, but the lad’s got a fantastic opportunity there (Peterborough), being involved with the first team.
“The players we’ve got I believe, and I know Brian (Page, manager) does as well, are good enough to step in.
“Omar Beckles and Remy (Clerima) are more than comfortable playing at centre-half together and they’re two very, very good players.
“If Brian feels we need another one then obviously he’ll go out and look, but the boys we’ve got are good enough to do a job.
“We’re in a good position and the boys are confident. We’d have liked to have played the game, but we’ll look forward to Workington (away on Saturday).”
All of the other Mid-Anglia sides due to be in action yesterday also got the day off as the wet weather played havoc with the fixture list.
Cambridge City’s trip to Corby and St Neots’ home game with Arlesey in the Calor League, Premier Division bit the dust, as did the match at Westwood Road between St Ives and Royston in Division One Central, while
Soham’s game at Heybridge in Ryman League, Division One North also had to be postponed.
The match at St Neots was also called off late in the day, but Saints’ chairman Mike Kearns had no complaints with the decision.
“The referee has made his decision and there is no question he made the right one, even though it does look quite good,” said Kearns.
“It’s in the club’s interest to have a match on New Year’s Day because we’ve got staff here, programmes, and would probably have been the only game on in the county or immediate area, so we could have expected a decent crowd.
“But you’ve got to think of the health and safety of the players.”
And Cambridge United’s away game with Braintree was one of the first to be called off.
Richard Money’s side are now four points adrift of Skrill Premier leaders Luton, who beat Barnet 2-1 at Kenilworth Road, but they now have two games in hand on the Hatters.
