Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill calls kick off delays in future extreme temperatures
Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill believes kick-off times should be delayed, in future, if the country experiences extreme temperatures like it did at the weekend.
Salop got their first win of the season at the weekend, beating Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at Adams Park courtesy of a late Luke Leahy penalty and a header from Matthew Pennington.
But the game was played in soaring temperatures that at times went up to 34 degrees.
The players and officials stopped for drinks at the midway point of both halves to help them cope with the severe temperatures.
And the boss said that if this happens in future, maybe league officials can consider delaying the start times, so games are not played during the hottest part of the day.
“I think we should look at that and maybe put the kick-off back,” said Cotterill, when asked about the conditions.
“There is no reason when we know this that the kick-off can’t be put back three or four hours.
“I think maybe looking at this in the future, when we know we are getting prolonged heat waves like this. The players have to play in it, but it is dangerous.
“I think we should look at that and maybe put the kick-off back. There is no reason when we know this that the kick-off can’t be put back three or four hours.
“If that had happened, we would have been fine with that, and I am sure Gareth (Ainsworth) would have been the same. At the end of the day player safety is still paramount.
“I know football in our country is a bit of a religion, but you have still got to think about the welfare of the players. You have to think about that.
“We could have put these fixtures back three of four hours, and I don’t think anyone would have had a problem with that.
“You know what happens when you go on holiday everyone says stay out of the midday sun from 12 until three.
“But we’ve got players warming up a 1.30pm. And they are leaving the pitch at 5pm, so we are toasting them at the highest point.”
Meanwhile, Matthew Pennington, who scored his first goal of the season at the weekend said his side wants to keep the momentum going, as they head into two important games against Derby and Ipswich.
He said: “We want to keep the momentum going.
“We have a couple of home games in front of our supporters, and we need to get a win there as well after we have got a win on the road.
