Ex-refs chief blasts Aberdeen over Celtic postponement, shares Scottish FA fine verdict
Aberdeen demonstrated “poor organisation” and a lack of foresight in the postponement of their home clash against Celtic on Wednesday.
That is according to ex-FIFA referee and former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, who has exclusively told Football Insider that the home team should have arranged for an official to make a judgement on the pitch much earlier.
Celtic fans have been left fuming by the Aberdeen postponement, as the Dons only arranged their opening pitch inspection for 4pm, with the game due to kick off just four hours later.
The midweek clash could have had a significant impact at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but it will now have to be played at a later date, as supporters await the rescheduling of the fixture.
Keith Hackett does not expect Scottish FA to fine Aberdeen
Hackett has been critical of the Scottish FA in the past, and he has suggested that they must take some of the blame once again on this occasion.
The former referee believes that the governing body also displayed disappointing organisation surrounding the postponement, as they could have worked alongside Aberdeen to ensure that an earlier decision could have been reached.
Hackett pointed to the regular involvement that the Premier League and the EFL take in these processes south of the border, as he also suggested that Aberdeen will escape a possible fine from the SFA for a late postponement.
“This is really poor organisation from Aberdeen and the Scottish FA,” he exclusively told Football Insider.
“They should have had the match referee or a top local official at the ground at noon at the latest.
“With the weather forecast in hand and intermittent inspections of the playing surface, a judgement could have been made much earlier, preventing the fans and the teams from making a wasted journey.
“When faced with this problem in England, the Premier League and the EFL are involved in the process. I do not think that any fine will be imposed in this situation.”
Celtic to take advantage of ‘surprising’ Hearts decision
Former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness recently told Football Insider that he was “surprised” that Hearts didn’t strengthen their squad more in the January transfer window.
The current table-toppers welcomed four new additions to their ranks this winter, but did not persist with the heavy spend that many were expecting as they aim to fend off Celtic and Rangers in the title race.
Wyness was keen to stress that he is finding the three-horse race for the Premiership title “fascinating” at the moment, but also felt that Hearts could live to regret their decision not to strengthen further.
A huge financial boost plus the possibility of Champions League football are on offer for the eventual victor, and Celtic will be looking to try and take advantage of their rivals’ insignificant window in the coming weeks.