Saints are livid over late call-off
St Johnstone have urged the SPFL to launch an investigation into why their Premiership clash at Dundee United suffered a late call-off.
A second inspection of the frozen surface took place just 90 minutes before kick-off, and the match was postponed.
Saints’ Head of Football Operations, Kirsten Robertson, said the situation is “far from ideal”.
St Johnstone have urged the SPFL to launch an investigation into why their Premiership clash at Dundee United was called off yesterday.
The Tannadice surface was frozen in patches, despite the ground having undersoil heating, with the match postponed after two checks.
An initial pitch inspection was called at noon after freezing conditions overnight in Dundee, with a second check by referee Colin Steven at 1.30pm confirming the game was off.
Despite United having the required facilities in place, the club announced the match was postponed “due to a small area of the pitch still not being
sufficiently thawed out” from the heavy frost.
The two teams will meet again in midweek, with kickoff scheduled for Tuesday at 6.30pm, but Saints’ head of football operations, Kirsten Robertson, said the situation is “far from ideal”.
“We are disappointed the game was called off just over 90 minutes from kick-off,” Robertson said in a club statement.
“With Dundee United having undersoil heating, we fully expected the fixture to go ahead. We did not expect this.
“We now fully expect the SPFL to look into why the game could not be played and why it was such a late call off.
“The manager and the players prepared for this game and we feel for them not to have the game on.
“Thankfully, with supporters not being allowed into games, none of our fans had travelled to Tannadice. So, that’s an upside.
“It was also the day that
Dundee United paid their tributes to Jim Mclean after his sad passing.
“All in all, it’s been far from ideal,” Robertson added.
Meanwhile, United will continue with plans to make their special tribute to Jim Mclean in the rearranged fixture on Tuesday night.
As well as welcoming Saints to Tannadice, United had planned to toast legendary boss Mclean this weekend but the wintry weather scuppered proceedings.
Thankfully, with the game rearranged quickly and the elements improving, the Tangerines will still be able to pay their respects to the club’s greatest-ever manager.
Mclean, who won two League
Cups and the 1983 Premier Division title in 22 years as Terrors boss, passed away on Boxing Day last year at the age of 83 after a long battle with dementia.
United’s tributes to the great gaffer and former chairman – who led his side to the 1984 European Cup semi-final and 1987 Uefa Cup Final – were set to include a special 80-page commemorative programme, Tangerines’ stars wearing tribute T-shirts in the warm-up and a minute’s applause before the game and on the 83rd minute – a nod to their title win.
All the proceeds from the programme sales and half of the cash generated from payper-view packages will still be donated to Alzheimer Scotland in Mclean’s honour as planned.
Earlier in the week, current United boss Micky Mellon paid his own tribute to the United’s legendary gaffer, saying Mclean “will never be forgotten” at Tannadice.
“The club should always have a tribute to Jim Mclean,” he said.
“It should always have Jim Mclean about it. It shouldn’t just be about a moment.
“We all know very clearly what he did for Dundee United,” added Mellon.
“But Jim Mclean will always be Dundee United. Dundee United will always be grateful to Jim Mclean. That will never change.
“He will never be forgotten here. That’s for sure.”