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Rain hampers A-League match

A-League match between Gold Coast United and the Central Coast Mariners was abandoned due to player safety concerns on the water logged pitch.

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2 min read

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Source: SBS Radio


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The match was called off in the 20th minute with scores locked at 0-0, as some fans were still piling into the ground.

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The stage was set for a memorable day with United's billionaire owner Clive Palmer offering free entry for the game as a tribute to FFA Chairman Frank Lowy and his World Cup bid team.

More than 21,000 people had registered for the free tickets by Sunday December 19th, but the heavy rain killed off any hope of a sell-out crowd.

And the saturated pitch eventually forced the match to be abandoned.

Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg says he felt for the fans who turned up, but it was the right decision.

'I was keen to go ahead, mainly because of the crowd. I think they deserved the effort, but I also 100 per cent agree with the referee's decision, because he stopped at exactly the moment that it's crossed my mind too,' Bleiberg said.

'When I think Robson tried to pass to Jason (Culina) and it has stuck in the mud and it would have probably become Russian roulette.'


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