Pochettino launches a pitch battle
THE row between Tottenham and Rochdale over the state of the League One side’s pitch escalated last night.
Mauricio Pochettino held talks with chairman Daniel Levy amid fears about the heavily sanded surface at the Crown Oil Arena ahead of the sides’ FA Cup fifth-round tie on February 18.
‘I think the FA need to assess how the pitch is and then to take a decision about whether it’s good for the FA Cup, good for the players, good for the teams to play on this type of pitch, in that condition that I think doesn’t help football,’ Pochettino said.
‘I think it’s not a pitch in a condition to play football on. I think this is about providing a safe place to play for the players. I think it’s a big risk to play on a pitch like this — if the pictures I have seen give an accurate impression.’
But Rochdale chairman Chris Dunphy hit back at the Argentine, telling ESPN: ‘If a manager wants to speak to his chairman, great. He can speak to Daniel Levy but the FA run the FA Cup and not Tottenham Hotspur.
‘ His comments are illadvised and unhelpful. It’s not his decision. We’ve been in touch with the FA throughout. For the (fourth-round replay) win against Millwall, the referee was there from 9am and it’s the referee who decides whether to play, not a manager.’
The FA want to grant Rochdale their wish of playing next weekend’s tie at home despite the Premier League club’s concerns.
Tottenham may be open to switching venues, but it is understood the FA would only consider that scenario in extreme circumstances.
The FA’s stance is unlikely to satisfy Pochettino.
A protective dome was in place at the ground for four days before Rochdale’s fourth- round replay win against Millwall on Tuesday, and groundstaff even slept in the dressing rooms on Monday night, working round the clock to ensure the game went ahead.
The pitch had to be heavily sanded with the club racing to get it ready for tomorrow’s League One fixture against Fleetwood Town.
Rochdale could benefit from the FA’s ‘subsidised pitch protection scheme’, which would see an independent contractor help with the pitch.
If tomorrow’s game against Fleetwood goes ahead, it seems likely that the Crown Oil Arena will host the Tottenham tie.