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Result of the Sunday May 16, 2010 CSL game between Toronto Croatia and London City played at Centennial Stadium at 8:15pm.
The game was called off before it began for unsafe playing conditions!
Rectangular boards of wood running the length of the field from the 50 yard line to the goallines in both ends of the field on the east side of the field were under the field turf. Under this 'grass' which was stapled to the plywood that was covering more cinder track that was used at the City High Schools track and field championships earlier in the week. The wood was outside the football lines but inside the soccer lines. Referee Dave Barrie called off the game as unsafe. I went onto the field to lift it myself and take some pictures and I agree it was the right call.
A Toronto Croatia official said the team played an exhibition game inside the football lines on Tuesday night and the City assured them the field would be playable for tonight!
Ryan Gauss the manager for London City which had to make the three hour drive from London says the coach rental and expenses were over $1000 and they have to cover player salaries. The only bright spot is he has more time to work out the visa delays of their new star Kevin Zimmerman.
If I had known this game would be cancelled I would have gone to the York Region Shooters season opener against St Catharines Wolves which started one hour earlier. I hope to see the Wolves twice next weekend when they visit the Toronto area so I chose this game.
The City of Toronto messed up last night's game at Lamport Stadium with no one being able to open the press box until the game had started so missing the national anthems and player intros and having the scoreboard working until the second half. There was no microphone at that game. This reminds me the City is acting like that old Flintstones episode where Fred has to order a clown for his daughter Pebble's birthday and the Rockettes for the Water Buffalo Lodge party but the attendant gets the two functions mixed up. He realizes he may have made a mistake after he sends them off but he wonders if he should correct it. "Who cares? I'm the ONLY caterer in town!"
Last year the league was inconvenienced by the City staff going on strike for more than a month.
I've been warned to call ahead before next Sunday night's Toronto Croatia game against Brantford Galaxy FC to make sure this problem is resolved. No idea when this game will be rescheduled.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Officials look at the field before deeming it unplayable.
Long strips of plywood running the length of the field inside the sidelines.
Nope they can't play on this.
So that's what's under the field turf--more cinder track.
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