Referee Don Robertson said he had no choice but to call off the match between Dundee and Rangers at Dens Park with the safety of the players his paramount concern, as he explained the process that led to the late postponement.
Rangers were angered at the timing of the call off, having arrived at the ground just as news of Robertson’s decision was breaking, with an initial inspection having been carried out at 9.15am by local official Craig Fordyce.
A second inspection by Robertson eventually saw the game cancelled around 10.30am, with the match due to kick off at noon.
“Dundee contacted the Scottish FA and the league this morning to say they had concerns with the pitch,” Robertson said.
“At that point, a local referee comes to do a primary inspection. At that point then it was agreed with the league and the clubs that there would be a final inspection on my arrival at the stadium.
“So, the clubs and the league were agreed on that position, and then for me to take a final decision.
“The only consideration for me was the safety of the players. When I inspected the pitch there, it was quite clear that it wasn’t in a playable condition.
“The ball wasn’t bouncing, and there were a couple of areas of concern in front of the dugout and in the top penalty area.
“The ground staff have done a lot of work to be fair to them, but the ball is not bouncing at all in some of those areas, it wasn’t rolling, the conditions underfoot were dangerous for the players.
“So, it’s quite simple decision after that.”
When asked if he could understand why the late call off would have upset Rangers, Roberston added: “For me, that is beyond me, that is a league issue in terms of how things are organised.
“I just arrive and make a decision on the field, and like I said, the only concern for me is the safety of the players when I make that decision. Anything beyond that is not for me.”
That includes the prospect of delaying the kick off, which was discussed to allow the ground staff more time to work on the surface, which was pockmarked by large areas of sand.
“Yeah I think there was maybe some chat on that between the league and the clubs, but certainly not for the officials,” he said.
“We make a decision at the time, and if the league or the clubs want to come up with another plan or delay or whatever, that is a decision for them to make, not for us.”
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