Hamilton boss Rice left raging at hectic schedule

Hamilton boss Brian Rice believes the winter break is harmful to smaller clubs like accies because of the fixture pile-up it causes.

Following the 20 day-shutdown, Hamilton are about to complete a spell of seven games in 24 days — with Rice insisting his players are at risk of injury.

the accies head coach, who will be without four injured strikers for tonight’s visit of aberdeen — mickel miller, andy Dales, Steven Davies and George oakley — said: ‘i am now having seven games in 24 days and clubs like us struggle.

‘We give them a couple of weeks off and then we bring them back and batter them. it is no wonder teams pick up injuries. it might be coincidence, but i don’t believe in coincidence.

‘i know it is really difficult for the people who do the fixtures because of cup ties, international games, Europe, i understand all that. But to have seven games in 24 days in January into February is ridiculous and we are asking for trouble.

‘We are playing seven games when the weather is normally horrendous and, in the summer time, when the weather is half decent, we are not playing.’

Rice also believes a wind meter should be used in Scottish football after he watched one weather-affected game turn into a ‘complete farce’ at the weekend.

the accies manager was a spectator at Hibernian’s 4-1 Scottish Cup fifth-round win over BSC Glasgow on Sunday lunchtime as Storm Ciara swept the country.

He was far from impressed with what he witnessed at alloa’s ground and there is set to be further inclement weather when his side host aberdeen in the Premiership tonight.

Rice (pictured) said: ‘i can’t believe in this day and age where we have goal-line technology, VaR, all these tools to improve the game and we don’t have a wind meter.

‘i have said it for 15 years. the worst conditions you can ever play in is the wind and i think it has been proven.

‘there must be a wind meter, something we can use because it just destroys the game.

‘the players don’t like it, the fans won’t come out in it, the game is a lottery. i was at the Hibs game. a complete farce.

‘Fair play to the two teams trying to make a go of it and to the fans for turning up in horrendous conditions. Falkirk versus Hearts on Saturday night was the same and i believe Clyde versus Celtic was the same.

‘in this day and age surely we can come up with something.’

accies lost 4-1 to Rangers in their Scottish Cup clash on Saturday and Rice, who sat in the stand serving the third of a five-match ban for breaching betting rules, is adamant that the home side should have had a penalty for a handball by Rangers defender Connor Goldson.

He said: ‘When you play the old Firm, you have to take your chances and you have to carry luck and you need to get some big decisions.

‘michael Beale (Rangers coach) said to me at half-time: “that’s a stonewall penalty, how did you not get it?”.

‘i am disappointed because the referee and linesman had a really clear view of it.’