Hull Angry But Ref Admits: No Choice

Pat Miller, the referee who cancelled Colchester`s fixture against Hull over the weekend, has today admitted there was no alternative but to obey the weather excess surface water forced a postponement.

The ref said in today`s Evening Gazette: "If you looked at the pitch from the stands at a higher level, anyone would think that you wouldn't have had a problem.

"However, having walked the pitch with my officials the four corners in particular proved quite dangerous."

That has left the problem of when to reschedule the match, amid the comments from Hull manager Phil Brown that he thought the game should have gone ahead.

It had been thought this would be next weekend, much to the displeasure of Hull`s staff who played a Dubai training camp, given that both teams are already eliminated from FA Cup completion.

However, policing arrangements at Layer Road would prove difficult, it has emerged, because they must be notified at least ten days prior to any fixture being played.

In the meantime, Hull boss Brown may still be able to take his team abroad, while the Tigers have also announced that those who had already paid for travel to the fixture will now be able to get to Essex without incurring extra cost.

This would have impacted somewhere in the region of 1,000 visiting fans.