Officials to assess Charlton appeal tomorrow

Premier League officials will meet tomorrow to assess Charlton's appeal for a replay of their weekend defeat by Chelsea because…

Premier League officials will meet tomorrow to assess Charlton's appeal for a replay of their weekend defeat by Chelsea because of the state of the heavily-sanded pitch.

The League's chief executive Richard Scudamore, chairman Dave Richards and secretary Mike Foster will set out a framework for handling the unprecedented demand.

Charlton argue that the Chelsea pitch breached league rules because it was so heavily sanded that it was effectively an artificial surface.

They have also complained that Chelsea had an unfair advantage because they were able to train on the pitch in its sanded state and also ensure they had the appropriate footwear.

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Chelsea have responded by saying that the referee's decision to proceed with the match after a pitch inspection should stand.

Winger Jesper Gronkjaer rubbished Charlton's claims that the Chelsea players were able to train on the pitch.

"The pitch was in such a bad condition that it would have been terrible for us to train on it on Thursday and Friday - we hardly train at Stamford Bridge," the Danish winger said.

Charlton lost the match 4-1 and their manager, Alan Curbishley, admitted after the game that the pitch could not be used as an excuse for the comprehensive defeat.