Heavy rain, bad forecast forces Sydney A-League derby at Jubilee Stadium to be postponed

A-League officials will lead delicate negotiations over the next couple of days in a bid to avoid playing the Sydney derby on a midweek night after it was postponed on Saturday.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 26: Mitchell Duke of the Wanderers competes for a header during the round three A-League match between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC at Bankwest Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

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A-League officials will lead delicate negotiations over the next couple of days in a bid to avoid playing the Sydney derby on a midweek night after its postponement on Saturday.

Two days of torrential rain across Sydney led to the pitch at Jubilee Stadium being declared unsafe to play on, hours before Sydney FC were due to host the Wanderers.

No new date has been set yet for one of the competition’s showpiece matches as talks continue between the clubs, A-League boss Greg O’Rourke and broadcaster Fox Sports.

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Fans will have to wait before the season’s second instalment of the Sydney derby.

Complicating matters, Sydney FC start their Asian Champions League campaign away to Yokohama F Marinos on February 19, while the third A-League derby of the season has already been scheduled for March 21.

One option is to move Sydney’s home clash with Wellington on Friday, February 28, and play the derby that night, as the Wanderers have the bye that weekend. The Wellington game — which historically draws one of Sydney’s lowest crowds of the season — could be played on Wednesday, March 14, given that the Phoenix would be in NSW three days before to take on the Mariners.

Jubilee Stadium is available that night as its NRL commitments don’t begin until 48 hours later. That option would require the agreement of Wellington and Fox Sports.

It was quickly apparent at a pitch inspection on Saturday morning that the surface was unplayable. Forecasters are predicting Sydney’s heaviest February downpour in nearly two decades, and roads around the stadium had already been closed due to localised flooding.

“With over 100mm of rain falling in the Sydney area over the past two days, and in the interest of player welfare, all parties agreed that it was not possible to play the match as scheduled today,” O’Rourke said.

“Whilst it is disappointing that a nearly sold-out crowd is unable to see another iconic Sydney derby today, this was the right decision to give fans as much notice as possible under the circumstances.”