SOUTHEND United boss Phil Brown was disappointed to see yesterday’s game against Wanderers called off because of a frozen pitch.

Around 1,000 Bolton fans were en route to the Essex coast for an eagerly-anticipated game before being told just after 11am that the match had been postponed.

Heaters and covers had been used on a problematic patch of the Roots Hall pitch, shaded by a block of flats, but referee Charles Breakspear deemed it unfit to play four hours before kick-off.

Brown could not answer whether the turf would have thawed by mid-afternoon but local temperatures were well above freezing.

But he believes it was an ideal chance to catch Bolton cold after watching them sip to defeat in a hard-fought midweek cup clash at Selhurst Park.

“It was the right decision at the time it was made but whether or not the pitch would have been playable by 3pm I don’t know,” he said.

“It’s disappointing because it had the makings of a fantastic game and I also think we were catching Bolton at a good time as they had a tough FA Cup replay at Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

“I really do feel as though they would have been fatigued at some point but we just have to get on with it.”