STORM GARY AS LIVI BLAST QUICK FIX
Holt: It’s nightmare for fans and clubs
Furious Gary Holt last night slammed the SPFL’s decision to pressgang Livingston into playing Rangers today at less than 24 hours’ notice.
MailSport understands the West Lothian club felt bullied into the quick-fix rearrangement after the game was called off at 12.50pm yesterday.
It’s believed Livi No. 2 Davie Martindale was opposed to the request for a one-day turnaround
in a call from Rangers boss Steven Gerrard – and offered Monday night as an alternative.
But the next call Livi took was from the SPFL telling them the game had been fixed for 3pm today.
League chiefs are already facing a fixture nightmare with Gers – who still have a game with St Johnstone to fit in pre-split – playing Braga in the Europa League on Thursday and then Wednesday. If Gers make it through, it wipes out two more midweeks.
However, Livi boss Holt insists the short- notice shift is a major headache for him and assistant Martindale – and thoughtless for both sets of fans.
He fumed: “We’ll do what we’re obliged to do – but I’m not happy about it.
“It was too quick a fix and not nearly enough thought went into arriving at it.
“A quick look at the forecast tells you it doesn’t look like it’s going to be any better for the 24 hours in between, so is the same thing going to happen to us and the fans again?”
As Storm Dennis hit Scotland, referee Euan Anderson called the game off just before 1pm, as Livi were boarding the team bus to the stadium from their pre-match meal. With a fixture nightmare unfolding, the SPFL inserted themselves into negotiations for the rearranged game.
A league source said: “Obviously we want our teams to be going through in Europe so it ’ s presenting us with a set of circumstances which wi l l be a problem if they do.
“There are very few alternatives – if any.”