Central Football Tairāwhiti Gisborne operations manager Fletcher Stewart-Hill said the Taradale fixture was set down for tomorrow but was postponed because the Childers Road Reserve No.1 pitch was not fit for play.
“After travelling for so long, Thistle want the game to be played on the No.1 pitch,” he said.
Thistle undertook to play their away games first to ensure their participation in the Federation League was not put at risk through any reluctance of the other teams to make a trip that Cyclone Gabrielle had made even more arduous.
They have played seven of their eight away games.
The remaining away fixture — against Palmerston North United — was postponed to September because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Thistle first-team squad.
Next week’s scheduled opponents, Napier City Rovers Reserves, would be playing a Central Federation Cup game that weekend, so that league game, too, was postponed.
In the meantime, the Thistle first-team squad members were training at the Lytton High School covered outdoor area or in the Gisborne Girls’ High School gymnasium.
Alternative sessions have included fitness classes at the YMCA and runs on Tītīrangi/Kaiti Hill.
Players were looking forward to getting on the field again.
“If you even mention the word ‘grass’ they get excited,” Stewart-Hill said.
“I have prioritised the women’s games this weekend. They will go ahead unless it buckets down on Saturday night.”
He would contact team representatives if the games could not be played.
“We’ll try to play as many games as possible in the men’s Eastern League 2, because they have more games to play than Eastern League 1.”
He would contact team representatives if second-division games could not go ahead.
Eastern League 1 games have been postponed. Junior football and college super league games were also postponed, but intermediate super league were going ahead as of yesterday.
Stewart-Hill said Watson Park flooding was the worst he had seen in 20 years.
Nelson Park had been hardly used this season, and then only on the ground next to the swimming pool.
Harry Barker Reserve had proved its worth, having had an increase in use this year.
Childers Road Reserve No.2 was the worst-affected pitch. Training in the early part of the season had exacerbated the problem.
And now No.1 seemed to have a drainage problem at the Thistle clubrooms end of the ground.
“We’re trying our best to make football happen,” Stewart-Hill said.
“We’re working closely with Recreational Services to make sure we are managing the pitches as best we can.”
