Rangers in race to beat the storm
RANGERS will attempt to beat more grim weather and host Livingston today after their wish for a swift rescheduling of yesterday’s postponed game was favoured by the SPFL.
The visiting club argued for a switch to Monday night but were informed they must travel back to Ibrox this afternoon for a proposed 3pm start in a bid to avert a potential fixture logjam before the league split.
A deluge of Storm Dennis rain overnight and through yesterday morning forced the Ladbrokes Premiership match to be called off by referee Euan Anderson, following a pitch inspection.
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard was seen testing the waterlogged surface himself, while officials ruled that conditions were unplayable two-and-a-half hours before kick-off.
Gerrard was keen for the club to try again as soon as possible to get the midweek loss to Kilmarnock out of the system before entertaining Braga in the Europa League on Thursday — and avoid a threat of further fixture congestion for his team.
The backlog already requires a
home game against St Johnstone, held over from Betfred Cup semi-final weekend, to find a rearranged date.
Rangers are guaranteed to be in action for at least the next three midweeks with back-to-back
Europa League ties against Braga before the league visit of Hamilton on Wednesday, March 4.
Should they advance past the Portuguese and into the Round of 16, then the following two Thursday nights will also be booked up before the domestic action takes a break for the Euro 2020 play-offs.
Rangers also face Hearts at Tynecastle at the end of this month in a William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final and, should that game require a replay to separate the sides, it would take precedence over league fixtures.
Rangers have fallen 10 points behind top-flight leaders Celtic and will hope that the innovative effort to push back the Livvy game by 24 hours sees them no worse off by tonight if the contest goes ahead.
Neil Lennon’s champions are in Aberdeen for a noon kick-off at Pittodrie, while the other Premiership game of the day is on the artificial surface of Rugby Park, with Kilmarnock hosting Hibernian.
Whether the playing surface at Ibrox will be capable of taking more punishment from the continued rainfall remains to be seen.
The pitch was described by Gerrard as ‘awful’ in the aftermath of new-signing Ianis Hagi scoring a late winner against Hibernian on February 6.
That was the fifth game at Ibrox in three weeks of wet weather since Rangers returned to action against Stranraer following the winter shutdown.
The club confirmed that access cards and tickets, including all match and hospitality tickets, issued for yesterday’s intended game will be valid for the rescheduled time.
Livingston, meanwhile, wanted to push the match back to tomorrow evening in the hope of a more favourable forecast by the start of the week helping underfoot conditions to improve.
The call by the league to attempt to overcome the weather today instead was described as ‘extremely strange’ in a social media post by Livingston’s supporter liaison officer Derek White.
‘As a club, we tried to rearrange for Monday night to allow the weather to pass and fans to make alternative arrangements,’ read a statement on the Livingston website.
‘But, ultimately, the decision was made by the SPFL.
‘Anyone who can no longer make the rearranged game and has purchase a ticket can claim a refund from LFC reception. The original ticket must be returned in full for the refund to be issued.’
The SPFL regard tomorrow as a back-up option if today fails. However, Rangers, after speaking to police and stewards’ bosses, persuaded the authorities that they could deliver a Sunday kick-off by working on the pitch overnight.
The Rangers game was the second Premiership clash to fall victim to the weather as
St Mirren’s trip to Motherwell was called off by referee Nick Walsh.
There was no chance of a quick rescheduling there because
Stephen Robinson’s side are set to entertain Saints on Tuesday in a Scottish Cup fifth-round replay.