Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous has offered a detailed statement regarding the state of the pitch at The Hive.

Last night’s National League game against Dagenham & Redbridge was the latest game to be postponed by the Bees due to the pitch being waterlogged.

The match against Harrogate Town earlier this month was also called off before the rearranged fixture three days later was abandoned at half-time, and an FA Trophy tie against Farsley Celtic fell victim to the weather just minutes before kick-off.

Kleanthous firstly detailed the drainage system in operation at the stadium, saying: “The Hive pitch sits low of the site and by design will hold water in a one in 100-year flood eventuality.

Underneath the North Stand in a 200+ cubic metre flood attenuation system which is designed to hold water under the stand and slow the release of the drainage system to avoid flooding.

“In the training area north of the pitch is a designated flood storage reservoir which is part of the EA designed flood protection system which was built just before we took over the site.”

He continued: “There is no real problem with the pitch that a dry spell and a bit of hard work would not quickly resolve but we have barely had a day without rain since September and the forecast one in 100-year event has now become our reality.

“The simple problem is the rain is coming down faster and in greater quantity than this controlled system can drain and hence the pooling of water on the pitch.

“On Thursday an engineer was called to the site and an inspection of the drains confirmed that the system was not faulty but the very high water table meant that water on the surface was just not draining away quickly enough to relieve the pitch.”

Kleanthous also confirmed that both teams were happy for the match to go ahead, and that the decision to postpone the game against Dagenham was solely down to the referee.

He said: “Darren [Currie] and our team were happy to play the match as were the visiting team when they arrived and immediately prepared for their usual warm-up routine. We did not perceive any problems nor see a need to communicate any alarm to supporters.

“At around 6pm, the referee arrived and immediately expressed issues and caution over previous events and cancellations. He identified an area around the side of the centre circle which was less firm than the rest of the pitch and was worried that a further downpour would make this part of the pitch unplayable and possibly unsafe for players.

“He decided the risk of further rain and abandonment outweighed the desire of us all to stage the match.”

Barnet are due to host Southern League Division One Central side Halesowen Town in the quarter-final of the FA Trophy this weekend.