The Women’s Super League must find a solution to avoid games being called off due to frozen pitches, says Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.
The game – live on BBC Two – had started as scheduled at 12:30 GMT after an earlier pitch inspection.
But referee Neil Hair removed the teams from Kingsmeadow Stadium when it became clear he was unplayable.
“We have pitch covers and heaters designed to prevent frozen pitches. If they don’t do that job, we have to have another solution,” Hayes said.
“It’s not my job – it’s up to the league and the clubs to sort it out so we never have to cancel games. I’ve been saying for years that canceling games has a bad impact on our sport.
“Anyway, to make sure fans traveling across the country don’t have games canceled six or seven minutes later, that’s something we should all be working on.”
Liverpool manager Matt Beard said on Sunday the decision to kick off risked the players’ safety.
The sequence of events – starting with a pitch inspection at 9:30 a.m. and ending with slipping players and disappointed supporters whom Hayes addressed – was criticized by leaders and experts, as well as actors on social networks.
Only four WSL clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Leicester City and Reading – have underfloor heating on their main grounds.
“Generally, if it’s the top division of women’s football, we should have exactly the same opportunity,” Hayes said when asked if clubs should invest in underfloor heating.
“It’s not about Chelsea, it’s about women’s football and being able to build a fanbase, a business and all of those things without equal access to things for many years.
“Someone commented that underfloor heating is not environmentally friendly, so maybe in an ideal world you would have an environmentally friendly pitch to play in the Premier League. “
Chelsea are set to face Tottenham in the Continental Cup quarter-final in their next game on Wednesday at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road.
WSL rivals Arsenal are set to host Aston Villa at Meadow Park in the quarter-finals on Thursday, with a pitch inspection taking place at 12:00 GMT.
The club also confirmed they had “investigated the possibility” of hosting the game at the Emirates Stadium but it was “not feasible due to essential grounds maintenance”.
