Oxford United are likely to demand compensation from the Kassam Stadium company after the farce which resulted in their Boxing Day game against Rushden being postponed.

The club lost out on the biggest money-spinner of their season when referee Brendan Malone ruled the playing surface unfit following a 1pm pitch inspection.

The decision will cost United more than £50,000, and left thousands of supporters dumbfounded and angry.

A 10,000-plus crowd was anticipated and many fans had travelled huge distances to get to Oxford.

They were bewildered that, with all surrounding frozen areas having thawed, Wiltshire official Mr Malone announced that there were still rock-hard patches on parts of the pitch, and he had to call the match off for players’ safety.

Yet these areas were not on the strip of the pitch that doesn’t receive sunlight because of the shadow of the South Stand, but on patches which had apparently frozen and then not had the opportunity to thaw because the covers had not been removed during the previous day.

Nobody tended to the pitch on Christmas Day, it was reported.

The pitch is the responsibility of the stadium’s owners, who employ members of the university sports staff to look after the pitch, having dispensed with a full-time groundsman last season.

One of those helpers, who did not want to be named, said they were limited by the number of hours they were allowed to work.

Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas, who had flown over from America to be at the game, was angered by the postponement.

“It’s awful that a game of this importance is put at jeopardy because of hours and costs,” he said.

“We, as a football club, fully expect the pitch to be properly prepared. If that meant coming in on Christmas Day, that’s what should have been done.

“This is one of the frustrations of not owning the stadium. If we owned the ground, this game would not have been called off.”

Thomas said: “I can only apologise on behalf of Oxford United to all the fans.

“I don’t know how this could have been called off when weather conditions had improved so much. But I’m going to find out.”

He intends to hold an inquiry with representatives from the stadium company, and groundstaff, to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

To add to United’s dismal day, title rivals Stevenage and York won, Stevenage coming from behind for a 3-1 victory at Cambridge, and York seeing off Mansfield 3-0.

Stevenage consequently reduced Oxford’s lead at the top to two points.