Killie vs. Dons GAME OFF/Fir Park Pitch Fiasco

[Reekie_Red]

Ridiculous decision ... only made believable by the fact that it is the SPL who is making the decisions. So, since Aberdeen have no incidents of games being called off due to failure of undersoil heating, if we're drastically short on key players through injury, can we just nae turn on the heating one Friday night?

 

(a) we don't have to pay the lecky bill for running our undersoil heating overnight

(b) we'll get away with it cos we've never had problems before

© we'll be better off cos our injured players will have a chance to recover

[Kowalski]

The SPL Board yesterday considered the findings of the enquiries into the postponements at Rugby Park and Fir Park on 6 December.

 

It was agreed that there was prima facie evidence of a breach of the SPL Rules by Kilmarnock FC. But the Board noted that there had been no similar incidents at Kilmarnock in the last five years. In these circumstances, no proceedings will be commenced against Kilmarnock FC who have received a warning from the SPL Board. The club will also be required to provide detailed information on its working practices in respect of their undersoil heating system going forward.

 

The Board also agreed that there was prima facie evidence of a breach by Motherwell FC. Motherwell FC was warned in relation to the condition of its pitch last season and as a result the club will be required to respond to charges that it has breached SPL Rules H6.5 and H6.6.

 

The Board hearing will take place in the New Year.

 

An SPL spokesman said: "Clearly everyone wants to see our games going ahead as scheduled. Clubs have a responsibility to make sure that their undersoil heating systems are in working order and used correctly to avoid call offs in the cold winter weather."

 

http://www.kilmarnockfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10291~1493972,00.html

 

http://bp3.blogger.com/_PWsyVBvNUGU/R1yPn_4-56I/AAAAAAAAAj8/_Je01Isbw-E/S300/sign+sweep+under+rug.jpg[/img]

[glasgow sheep]

 

Steelmen warned over pitch state

Fir Park

Motherwell says they are working on improving their heating system.

 

Motherwell will be fined £20,000 if another match is postponed this season because Fir Park's pitch is unplayable.

 

The club was handed the suspended fine by the SPL after under-soil heating problems led to the postponement of their match against Hearts in December.

 

The sanction also takes into account the poor state of the club's playing surface last season.

 

"The suspended nature of this fine will deter any repeat performance," said SPL secretary Iain Blair.

 

The fine will also become payable if the Lanarkshire club fail to make improvements to their heating facility before the start of next season.

 

All SPL clubs must have an effective winter underground pitch heating system as a condition of entry to the league.

 

"Motherwell have provided us with assurances that steps are being taken to upgrade their system," added Blair.

 

Following the call-off on 6 December, Motherwell employed a hot-air dome to thaw out their playing surface.

 

However, the pitch has deteriorated rapidly since then, with the surface badly rutted and bare in patches.

 

Several football matches have fallen foul of the weather during the winter, with more games in doubt this weekend because of freezing temperatures and snow.

 

On the same day as Motherwell's postponement against Hearts, Kilmarnock's home fixture against Aberdeen was also called off because of frost.

 

However, the Ayrshire club escaped punishment because of their good track record.

 

Last season, whilst ground-sharing with Gretna, part of the Fir Park pitch had to be relaid at a cost of around £40,000 after several postponements due to waterlogging.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Fuck me, that pitch has been re-laid?

 

It makes Hampden look like a bowling green, fining them money they "could" spend on the pitch could be deemed daft so I'd start awarding points/games against them.

 

The pitch is not fit for fitba. It may be "playable" but that is nowhere near the point. 

[Reekie_Red]

£20,000? That's fuckall! It's not exactly as if Motherwell haven't had very long to get used to the weather conditions that happen at Fir Park. The state of their pitch is not only putting matches in jeopardy, it is threatening injury to Mothwell's and any visiting team's players when they deem the surface "playable".

 

When Inverness CT groundshared at Pittodrie, the Dons pumped most of that groundshare money into a huge redevelopment of the pitch and undersoil heating/drainage.

 

Aberdeen's probably one of the worst cities in the SPL for snow and frost and that sorta shite. Yet when was the last time a match at Pittodrie was postponed due to the state of the pitch? Sure, Pittodrie's pitch isn't the smoothest playing surface in the country. But at least we put a sizeable amount of cash towards maintaining it and making sure that it is ready for its purpose: hosting professional football matches on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Motherwell's pitch has been a disgrace for years. £20,000 is fuckall!

[???]

£20,000? That's fuckall! It's not exactly as if Motherwell haven't had very long to get used to the weather conditions that happen at Fir Park. The state of their pitch is not only putting matches in jeopardy, it is threatening injury to Mothwell's and any visiting team's players when they deem the surface "playable".

 

When Inverness CT groundshared at Pittodrie, the Dons pumped most of that groundshare money into a huge redevelopment of the pitch and undersoil heating/drainage.

 

Aberdeen's probably one of the worst cities in the SPL for snow and frost and that sorta shite. Yet when was the last time a match at Pittodrie was postponed due to the state of the pitch? Sure, Pittodrie's pitch isn't the smoothest playing surface in the country. But at least we put a sizeable amount of cash towards maintaining it and making sure that it is ready for its purpose: hosting professional football matches on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Motherwell's pitch has been a disgrace for years. £20,000 is fuckall!

 

Robo is back!

[Andrew]

£20,000? That's fuckall! It's not exactly as if Motherwell haven't had very long to get used to the weather conditions that happen at Fir Park. The state of their pitch is not only putting matches in jeopardy, it is threatening injury to Mothwell's and any visiting team's players when they deem the surface "playable".

 

When Inverness CT groundshared at Pittodrie, the Dons pumped most of that groundshare money into a huge redevelopment of the pitch and undersoil heating/drainage.

 

Aberdeen's probably one of the worst cities in the SPL for snow and frost and that sorta shite. Yet when was the last time a match at Pittodrie was postponed due to the state of the pitch? Sure, Pittodrie's pitch isn't the smoothest playing surface in the country. But at least we put a sizeable amount of cash towards maintaining it and making sure that it is ready for its purpose: hosting professional football matches on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Motherwell's pitch has been a disgrace for years. £20,000 is fuckall!

 

I think it was a St Johnstone match about seven or eight years ago. Really heavy snow and game was called off.

[???]

I think it was a St Johnstone match about seven or eight years ago. Really heavy snow and game was called off.

 

F*cking hell, you would've been about 3, surprised you remember that... 

[Reekie_Red]

I think it was a St Johnstone match about seven or eight years ago. Really heavy snow and game was called off.

 

Sure? I remember a St Johnstone away match being postponed due to fog. Really sucked cos me and a mate from Edinburgh caught the bus up to Perth, grabbed a taxi from the bus station to McDermaid Park, and it got announced as called off as the taxi pulled up at the stadium! Bag of shite!! But that would've been about seven or eight years ago.

[Andrew]

Yea I went too that game as well. Called off at like 2:00 and had to just go back on the bus back up to Aberdeen. That was shit. And I do remember a St Johnstone home match that was called of due to snow about 7 or 8 years ago. Pretty sure. And I would have been 9 or 10. 

[tom_widdows]

Was it not a match against dundee in 2001. it came during our 9 home wins in a row and had we played that and won and then beaten celtic, Ebbe would have beaten fergies record

[???]

And I would have been 9 or 10. 

 

[BobbyBiscuit]

Yea I went too that game as well. Called off at like 2:00 and had to just go back on the bus back up to Aberdeen. That was shit. And I do remember a St Johnstone home match that was called of due to snow about 7 or 8 years ago. Pretty sure. And I would have been 9 or 10. 

 

Yeah, there was one at Pittodrie called off due to snow (I had gone up on the train, everywhere was fine but then we hit just outside Aberdeen and there was snow everywhere!) and there was a Scottish Cup game at McDermaid called off due to fog.