Farcical football as wind takes control

Jim Reynolds

22 Feb 1993

AS managers up and down the country bemoaned the fact that players had been asked to perform in impossible conditions at the weekend, Airdrie's Alex MacDonald summed it up perfectly.

"The only thing that wind is any good for is hanging out a washing," he said.

Not even the consolation of a point from the 0-0 draw with Hearts at Broomfield -- a point which makes premier division safety a bit of a possibility -- could bring any real satisfaction his way.

Hearts' Joe Jordan was equally distressed at witnessing what was the footballing equivalent of crazy golf, the ball taking off in all sorts of directions and being tossed about like a ping-pong ball in a jacuzzi.

Good players were made to look downright silly and the paying customer was short changed.

Said Jordan: "As a player I could handle snow, ice, and rain, but I hated playing in strong winds.

I'm certainly not going to criticise anyone for the way they performed in those conditions."

One had to feel sorry for players and fans alike.

For those on the field it was a nightmare and, as a spectacle, the whole thing was an utter farce, although nobody was laughing.

Balls into the wind tended to land closer to the kicker than the intended target and passes downwind would have been a test for Linford Christie or Carl Lewis.

At half-time, suffering from an acute lack of football and severe chill, I tried to head towards a promised cup of tea, only to be told by a steward that if I went out of a particular door I wouldn't be allowed back in.

I was sorely tempted.

As it was, Airdrie could have stolen the points in the closing minutes when, first, Davie Kirkwood missed a sitter in front of goal then Nicky Walker had to make saves from Owen Coyle and Alan Lawrence.

Justin Fashanu, making his home debut, had a reasonably good match and showed that he could be a real asset to the club.

Alan McLaren was sound at the back for Hearts, but perhaps the main talking point of the afternoon involved a first-half incident between Airdrie defender Gus Ceasar and Hearts striker Ian Ferguson.

Ceasar fouled the Hearts man near the centre circle and Ferguson then threw a punch.

Referee Joe Timmons, who was only a couple of yards away from the incident, booked both men when, surely, if he had seen the punch, should have sent Ferguson off.

No wonder Airdrie people become frustrated when their own disciplinary record is tossed in their faces.

Said one Broomfield official: "If that had been one of our boys, there would have been no hesitation -- he would have been red carded."

Taken from the Herald