The relentless rain this summer has left some Ottawa fields unfit for competition, affecting local soccer leagues.
Deep divots and mud patches have made it difficult and sometimes unsafe for players to take the field.
“This is definitely the worst we’ve had,” Elliot Barkley, general manager of the Ottawa Carleton Soccer League (OCSL) told CTV News Ottawa. “Last year, the heat was pretty bad, but it didn’t affect the quality of fields nearly as much. Whereas now we’ve had a few wet ones, and after groups play on them, they’re effectively done for the summer.”
The situation has led to injuries and — in some cases — last-minute game cancellations.
“We’ve had some injuries as well, where someone trips and falls on the divot, whatever,” Barkley said. “A lot of times, the referee gets to the field and has to cancel the game because we don’t even know it’s that …