Warnock: Call-off is a scandal
CARDIFF manager Neil Warnock labelled the postponement of his side’s clash at Derby yesterday as ‘scandalous’ and a ‘disgrace’. The sides were due to meet at Pride Park at noon, when a win would have taken Cardiff back to within three points of Championship leaders Wolves. However, the match was called off at 8.15am following overnight snow. Warnock told Sky Sports: ‘I’m very disappointed. I’m not overly surprised. I heard (Derby manager) Gary Rowett’s remarks earlier in the week about “if we can’t get over this weekend’s injury crisis with this game we should be all right after the event”. ‘We came up yesterday and obviously it snowed, but it’s a disgrace. Two weeks ago, against Fulham here, all the Derby fans were saying it was 10 times worse. There were snow ploughs. There’s nothing here, the car parks are clear, all the shops are open.’ Derby said the clash had been postponed due to Pride Park and its surrounding areas being unsafe for supporters, staff and officials. But Warnock said: ‘We have some Derby fans who have come from miles away. Safety? We’ve come from the middle of the countryside on the coach and the roads have been perfectly all right. It leaves a sour taste. It’s scandalous.’ The EFL said in a statement that the decision was made ‘first thing this morning following discussions between Derby County, Derbyshire Police and the local Safety Advisory Group’. It added that it was ‘satisfied from the information shared that these were the reasons the match was postponed’.