EnergyAustralia Stadium Postponement 'a disgrace'

North Queensland Fury Chief Executive Rabieh Krayem has labelled the postponement of tonight's A-League match between his side and the Newcastle Jets as "an absolute disgrace".

The match at EnergyAustralia Stadium was officially postponed a little more than 24 hours before kick-off due to the poor condition of the pitch - a direct result of a motocross event being held at the stadium on 16th October.

Krayem was furious at the late notice with the Fury only messaged about the situation when in transit from Brisbane to Newcastle on Tuesday. He blamed NRL club the Newcastle Knights, the major tenants and management right holders at the NSW Government-owned stadium. The Knights sublease the stadium to the Jets.

The Jets have long complained about the arrangement.

"This situation is an absolute disgrace," Krayem stated yesterday, adding âwhoever is in charge at Newcastle Knights for hiring out the stadium should be held responsible for this.

"To host a motocross event less than two weeks before an A-League football match is just mind-boggling.

"This motocross event was held on 16th October and stadium officials would have been aware of the damage long before today, so a decision on our fixture should have been made by Monday at the very latest.

"The state of the pitch is beyond a disgrace and is certainly not fit to hold any football match, let alone the country's premier football competition.

"It's astonishing that Football Federation Australia (FFA) were only made aware of the situation today and that no thought was given by anyone as to where the opposition were travelling from."

The FFA had announced the decision to postpone the match in a statement on Tuesday evening, citing: "significant damage caused to the playing surface following the Super X event on 16th October."

The FFA said a decision on Sunday's match between the Jets and Melbourne Heart is expected to be made on today.

"Following an alert from Newcastle Jets management today, FFA dispatched senior staff to inspect the playing surface," said Head of the A-League Lyall Gorman.

"The need for player safety and player welfare is paramount and a decision was made that the ground was not acceptable for competitive football."

The FFA is examining alternative venues for both matches.