The game against Aberdeen was called off less than an hour and a half before the scheduled kick off. The postponement was an inconvenience for the home fans and a major disruption for those who had travelled from the north east.

The referee, Calum Murray, indicated that he had spoken to the club at around noon to be told that the park was playable. He arrived at one thirty and it did not take long to discover that, despite valiant efforts by the groundstaff, the amount of water on the pitch was preventing the ball from rolling.

Terry Butcher agreed with the decision and was frustrated that the players would not get a game before the cup game next week.

It has to be said though that the fans who were inside Fir Park just after twelve for their appearance on Sportscene were not surprised at the cancellation. The strip in front of the main Stand was waterlogged and as the drizzle turned to sleet there seemed little prospect of an improvement.

There is no news yet of the rescheduled fixture.