The contrast between the snowy streets surrounding the stadium and the sight that reveals itself via the tunnel is remarkable. While winter boots and treacherous underfoot conditions are the norm in Fir Park Street, a twenty yard walk through the Phil O’Donnell stand offers a reminder of the power of undersoil heating.
Inside
On Tuesday morning the pitch was clear and the winter sun lit up the Cooper Stand. The surface is ready for football but will we get the opportunity to see Motherwell play Kilmarnock on Saturday? The club must be hugely frustrated that the game was called off last weekend. Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been spent on the ground in the last few years and yet the game was called off with the pitch playable.
Outside
It has become a fashion in recent years for the police to quote fears of public safety as the determining factor in calling off football matches. We’ve all heard about games postponed because of icy car parks. Strange then, that the same reason is never used to close supermarkets or cinemas. Does the snow only affect the surrounds of football stadia?
In years gone by the issue didn’t arise. If winter conditions were at their worst the pitch would be frozen and the referee would deem the surface unfit. Nowadays we have pitches that are perfectly playable but unreachable because the roads are snowbound. It’s a strange world.
Let’s hope that the roads are clear this weekend and that someone clears the car park!