Here's what Calderdale Council have said in response to criticisms over the condition of The Shay pitch

Saturday’s game at home to Ebbsfleet was the latest match this season to be called off after the Shay pitch was deemed unplayable, leaving Town fans frustrated that The Shaymen will be forced to rearrange another fixture.

Town’s last home outing, against Chesterfield, was played on a muddy and bobbly Shay surface, with the club’s supporters angry at the council, who are responsible for the ground, and the fact that the surface is seemingly unable to cope with hosting the town’s football club and rugby club.

Previous seasons have also seen several Town games postponed due to pitch problems, with The Shaymen even forced to play matches away from their home stadium.

In response to some of the criticisms levelled from supporters, Calderdale Council’s Assistant Director of Customer Services, Sarah Richardson, said: “The decision to postpone the Halifax Town fixture on Saturday 23 March was made by the match official following a pitch inspection. The decision whether a game goes ahead is always made by the relevant match officials. Unfortunately, on this occasion this was very close to the kick off time, and understandably this had an impact on fans, especially those travelling a long distance.

“In preparation for the forecast bad weather, the ground staff worked hard to throughout the week and on Saturday morning, right up until the referee called off the game.

“We do all we can to ensure the pitch is in the best condition possible. Unfortunately, despite the very best efforts of the ground staff, the heavy and persistent rainfall this winter has been particularly problematic.

“We continue to work hard to prevent further postponements and carry out regular maintenance. This includes the use of treatments such as ‘verti-draining’, which alleviates water clogging by opening up the pitch to support natural drainage.”