REFEREE Robert Madley insists he had no choice but to postpone Blackburn Rovers' Championship game with Brighton and Hove Albion after torrential rain.

Rain has poured across East Lancashire throughout the night and it has continued this morning leaving officials with no option other than to call the game off with the Ewood Park pitch saturated.

The rain has also wrecked the non-league programme with all of the area's sides left kicking their heels.

"Unfortunately we've had to call the game off today," said Madley.

"I got a phone call on my way over from (football secretary) Ian Silvester saying there could be a potential issue so we've gone out and had a look. The forecast going forward is just rain for the full afternoon. There's standing water on the pitch already and there's really nowhere for it to go.

"The last thing we want to do is to call games off but for the safety of the players it is a decision we have had to make.

"We wanted a game of football, Brighton have come a long way to discover the game is off, but we due have a duty of care to the players, and the fans, in weather like this.

"It is a shame but it is the correct decision."