Terry dismisses Addicks’ complaint about pitch

CHELSEA defender John Terry has insisted that Charlton’s players were actually looking forward to playing on the Stamford Bridge “beach” — as they believed the appalling surface could suit them better.

Terry has dismissed Charlton’s appeal to the Premier League for their weekend game to be replayed on grass because of the state of the pitch, insisting they had “nothing to argue about.” Indeed, he claimed the surface was actually better against Charlton than it was against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup a week earlier as five tonnes of sand had at least ensured it was flat.

Chelsea will therefore contest Charlton’s attempt to force a replay, insisting that referee Mike Dean gave his clearance and that no complaints were received by the visitors before kick-off. They will also tell the Premier League that they did not, as Charlton have claimed, train on the pitch in the build-up to the match, which they won 4-1. Terry insisted: “We only saw the pitch on the day of the game at about 1.30pm and the last time that we trained at Stamford Bridge was on Christmas Day.