Dale set to complain over pitch

Photo: Jon Coluccio

The 'two-tone' Don Valley pitch ahead of yesterday's game.

Rochdale are to complain to the football league over the state of the pitch during yesterday's defeat to Rotherham.

The Don Valley Stadium was used for a U2 concert just days before Dale's visit to play the Millers.

One half of the pitch had a straw-like appearance, with patches of mud and sand covering the worst-affected areas.

Dale assistant manager Dave Flitcroft claims that ahead of the game shards of glass and nails were found on the playing surface.

Boss Keith Hill believes that the game should not have been played.

"It's now in the hands of football club to comment on the pitch," he said.

"For me it was a bad decision to allow us to have to play on here on a Sunday after U2 and Bono have used it for the past week.

"We put an official report in to the referee before the game because everybody would think that having been beaten it's down to sour grapes.

"The pitch was not conducive to any type of football and really it probably should not have been played.

"We don't get preference, Rotherham don't own this stadium, it's the stadium of Sheffield. The stadium manager has obviously booked Bono in so we came second best to Bono."