Derek McInnes says later pitch inspection would not have saved Aberdeen’s game with Livingston

Derek McInnes insists a later kick-off would have made no difference to Aberdeen’s Premiership fixture with Livingston beating the weather.

The game was brought forward from 7.45pm to 4pm but failed a pitch inspection less than two hours before kick-off due to freezing temperatures in West Lothian.

The Dons had the option of requesting an earlier inspection than the one which took place at 2pm, but opted to leave it until later to give Livingston staff the chance to work further on the pitch.

McInnes had sent goalkeeping coach Gordon Marshall down to Livingston ahead of the rest of the team and his reports back were not promising.

But delaying the game by a further three hours – to its original time – would likely have seen temperatures get even lower.

McInnes said: “We’d already changed on their request to make it a 4pm kick off from 7.45.

“That (the 7.45) was put to us, and by the same token, we looked at temperatures in Livingston, and throughout the day they weren’t going to get above minus-one. It was actually going to be even colder come quarter to eight.

“We were thinking by that train of thought, that if they can’t get the pitch ready for a 4pm kick off, then how likely is it that it’s going to be ready for quarter to eight and the temperature is dropping. Maybe then the pitch will be more dangerous.

“We didn’t see the reasoning or the rational that the pitch would be less at risk to play the game by the referee. We knew the temperature would be dropping again. For us to be playing a game at that, we thought it was more likely that the referee would pass a pitch inspection for 4pm rather than quarter to 8.”

The game has now been rearranged for Wednesday January 13, with Aberdeen back in action tomorrow against Dundee United.

🗓️ Following yesterday's postponement, our game with Livingston will now take place on Wednesday 13th January at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

⌚️ Kick off, 7.45pm. pic.twitter.com/BfZtCZtyr5

— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) December 31, 2020