Weekend games put on ice by wintry blast

SPFL: Nine of the scheduled 15 league games already postponed

The wintry weather has wreaked havoc on the Scottish football programme with nine of the weekend’s 15 scheduled SPFL matches across four divisions already postponed.

Dundee United’s home meeting with Championship leaders St Mirren, due to be played tonight, was called off yesterday and quickly followed by the news that St Johnstone’s Premiership game with Hamilton tomorrow was also off.

Dunfermline took an early decision to postpone their game with Livingston and the fixtures at Airdrie, Albion Rovers, Berwick, Clyde, Edinburgh City and Peterhead joined the list of casualties.

The SPFL added that “the remaining games due to be played on Saturday will be kept under review”.

Pars chairman Ross McArthur admits Dunfermline’s league meeting with Inverness Caley Thistle next midweek is already a doubt.

Another postponement would leave Dunfermline without a home game for almost two months, with their last outing at East End Park coming back on January 26 against St Mirren and the next one not due until the match with Morton on March 17.

However, despite admitting the situation is ‘not ideal’, McArthur insists the club will be able to cope.

He said: “With the amount of snow we’ve had at East End Park, there was no way the game was going to be on and we agreed with the SPFL to arrange for a postponement early.

“And looking at the forecast, Tuesday’s game has to be in doubt as well.

“Looking at the bigger picture, it is about more than just trying to get a game of football on. You have to think about players and staff travelling across the country and supporters turning out in these sorts of conditions.

“It’s looking like it will be seven weeks without a home game, which is not ideal. We went a whole month and then we were supposed to have these two backtoback.

“But the club’s on a financial footing these days where we can get by, even in these circumstances.”

Forfar have agreed with the SPFL to assess this morning whether to call a pitch inspection for tomorrow’s League One fixture with leaders Raith Rovers.

Station Park officials are hoping the match will go ahead as planned with groundsman Martin Gray working tirelessly to try to ensure the game does not become the first to be called off at the ground since the 3G surface was installed back in the summer of 2012.

In a statement, the club said: “Though the Forfar area to date has not been hit as badly as some, getting Station Park playable in the first instance and, more importantly, keeping it playable for the visit of league leaders Raith Rovers this Saturday is already proving a mammoth task for groundsman Martin Gray.

“He spent upwards of eight hours on Wednesday clearing Tuesday’s night’s snowfall from the playing surface, only to be confronted with the same scenario this morning.

“He is again hard at work on the surface but the problem of course is more snow is forecast.

“Obviously if there is hope on Friday morning of the game going ahead, a few volunteers would be required to clear snow and salt/prepare the north and east terracing and access areas.”

You have to think about players and staff travelling across the country and supporters turning out in these sorts of conditions. ROSS MCARTHUR

SNS. Dundee United’s Tannadice, which has seen two games postponed this week by the weather.