Crawley match called off 20 minutes before kick-off

Crawley Town FC's fixture against Charlton Athletic has been called off just minutes before kick-off.

The League One sides were set to play to a sold out crowd at Crawley's Broadfield Stadium in West Sussex, but the match was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

Kick-off was scheduled for 15:00 GMT on Wednesday but the decision to cancel the game was not made until about 14:40.

The club said the decision was made "for the safety of the players" after a number of inspections.

With the rain continuing to fall, the stadium was already full as the announcement was made.

Crawley fan Chris Morris, who was inside the ground, said it was the right decision.

"I'm not surprised at all, it's dangerous, the players could break their legs," said Mr Morris.

"I live in Crawley, so it's not too bad, but I feel sorry for the Charlton fans. I think they could've [made the decision a bit quicker]."

Players from both clubs had been warming up moments before the game was called off and fans filtered out of the stadium.

Speaking on X, a spokesperson for Crawley said: "Unfortunately, this afternoon's match against Charlton has been postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch at the Broadfield Stadium.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused and will be back in touch with more communication regarding tickets in due course."

Crawley have been contact for further comment.

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