Game off! Motherwell v St Mirren postponed as Fir Park fails in the big freeze.
The extended spell of sub-zero temperatures have caused the problems for the old stadium’s plumbing and the club announced that Saturday’s long awaited return to action has been called off.
After the five week World Cup break fans were looking forward to live action but the trip along Fir Park Street will have to be delayed. Let’s hope the ground is fit for the expected visit of Kilmarnock next Friday. St Mirren report that “extensive stadium damage and flooding” at Fir Park has caused the postponement.
Motherwell last had the embarrassment of a cancellation due to burst pipes in January 2010 when the Ne’erday derby with Hamilton fell to the chill.
The club spent a fortune in the summer refurbishing the playing surface. Among the innovations was a state of the art under soil heating system that should ensure the playability of the pitch in sub-zero temperatures. Pity about the vulnerability of the rest of the stadium.
A warning was clear from the 2010 freeze. A new under soil system was laid in the summer of 2009 and a game was lost the following winter.
There is no information about a rearranged date.