France: Farmers’ Strike forces Grizzlys Catalans to postpone opening road game against Marseilles Blue Stars

The Grizzlys Catalans, based in Perpignan, France have announced that they have been forced to postpone their season opening road game against the Marseilles Blue Stars on February 3 due to poor road conditions.

The game was scheduled for 8 pm in Marseilles but according to the press release, the road conditions have deteriorated to such as extent that the trip, which normally takes roughly three hours, would now take too long for the team to be guaranteed to arrive on time for the game.

The causes of the poor conditions are, according to the press release blockages and slowdowns due to the current, ongoing farmers’ strike in the region.

The Grizzlys issued the following statement:

The Grizzlys Catalans Club regrets having to announce the cancellation of the trip planned to Marseille on Saturday February 3 for the first match of the regular season. This decision was taken due to current road conditions, marked by blockages and slowdowns due to farmers’ strike movements in France, particularly in Occitanie and PACA.

Faced with these circumstances beyond our control, the Catalan Grizzlys Club, in collaboration with the French American Football Federation (FFFA) and after discussion with the match referees, took the responsible decision to postpone the match rather than risk the unavailability of the Catalans Grizzlys team for the event. This decision is intended to ensure player safety and maintain the integrity of the championship.

The match was to be broadcast on SportMag TV and the official FFFA channel. Given the situation, it was deemed prudent to postpone the event in order to ensure full participation and quality of competition.

The Catalans Grizzlys Club apologizes to fans, partners and media for the inconvenience caused by this decision, and is currently working with the FFFA to set a new date for the match. Information regarding the postponement will be communicated as soon as it becomes available.

We thank everyone who understands the exceptional circumstances that led to this decision.