McGhee upset by game postponement

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee was angry after his side's game with Hearts was called off due to a frozen pitch.

The Fir Park club had their undersoil heating system checked following a series of postponements last season.

"I want answers," said McGhee. "If there was some sort of failing, I want to know it's been fixed immediately.

"The system was repaired and checked after it had been damaged. We took the extra precaution of bringing in covers at some expense."

The covers were put on the pitch on Friday evening, but a section at one end of the ground was frozen on Saturday morning.

"It is only an area within the six-yard box that I believe has really put the game off, but it's enough to be a danger to the goalkeeper and therefore the game is off," added McGhee.

"The boilers for the heating are all showing full power and it had been tested previously. All the tests showed that it was working and, with the extra covers going down on top of that as well, we can't explain it.

"I want to know that, if there is a problem with it, we have sufficient cover that we can put on the pitch that will guarantee that there is nothing like this happens again this season. It's a joke.

I'm a big believer in the reality of global warming. We're not quite sure how it's going to affect Scotland yet but it's not going to get any better

Mark McGhee

"It's doing my head in. It's the first bit of inclement weather."

The Scottish Premier League has launched an investigation, with a fine being a possible sanction.

But McGhee said: "We're not the only game that's off today. I think that's important that other people who have taken the same precautions as us."

McGhee was especially frustrated after being denied the chance to end his team's run of three straight defeats.

"As a player, I used to hate it," McGhee said. "If I turned up and the game was off, I used to be absolutely gutted. It's not any different as a manager.

"We've prepared all week, we want to start winning again. I felt that we were as prepared today as we've been in any game in recent weeks."

And the former Reading and Wolves boss McGhee would not oppose summer football in Scottish football.

"I would have no fears about summer football," he added.

"Somebody has to do a proper audit, whether it's Uefa or the SPL and SFA. We should be looking at it and really seeing what the options are and what the financial implications are with media and television.

"What the supporters want, of course, is fundamental. It is the most important thing.

"The climate in Scotland is changing. I'm a big believer in the reality of global warming. We're not quite sure how it's going to affect Scotland yet, but it's not going to get any better, that's for sure."

Taken from the BBC