noelyf
VIP Member
The icy weather is almost certain to force the postponement of many Scottish Cup fourth round games this weekend.
Sixteen ties are scheduled, but the sub-zero temperatures mean more than half are already in doubt.
It will be the third week in a row that Scottish football has been almost wiped out by the wintry weather.
Only two games went ahead on Saturday, with Falkirk's Scottish Premier League match against St Johnstone called off just 80 minutes before kick-off.
The forecast is for the freezing weather to continue into the weekend, making it almost impossible for clubs with no undersoil heating to make their pitches playable.
Morton's home tie against Celtic is one of those in doubt. Officials at Albion Rovers, Forfar Athletic and Ayr United are already all but resigned to their games being postponed.
Treacherous conditions mean there is also no guarantee that cup games at Scottish Premier League grounds will go ahead.
Despite the pitches being playable, SPL games have been called off because of police concerns about public safety.
The Scottish Football Association say they will wait until midweek before considering the effects the freezing conditions might have on the fixtures, but promise there will be no repeat of the late postponement at Falkirk.
The latest a pitch inspection can be scheduled for a Scottish Cup tie is four hours before kick-off.
With Scottish football being hit hard during the coldest winter for 25 years, lower league clubs are to share £1.5 million to help ease the financial strain caused by the continued calls-offs.
SFA chief executive Gordon Smith said: "I must emphasise that this is a discretionary payment and is made on a one-off basis taking account of the financial position this year."
Clubs in the South and East of Scotland league will receive £7,500 each, with senior sides getting more.
Scottish Cup Fixtures
Saturday 9 January
Aberdeen v Hearts
Albion v Stirling
Ayr v Brechin
Dunfermline v Stenhousemuir
Edinburgh City v Montrose
Forfar v St Johnstone
Hibernian v Irvine Meadow
Inverness CT v Motherwell
Kilmarnock v Falkirk
Livingston v Dundee
Morton v Celtic
Partick Thistle v Dundee Utd
Raith v Airdrie Utd
Ross County v Inverurie Locos
St Mirren v Alloa
Sunday 10 January
Hamilton v Rangers
Sixteen ties are scheduled, but the sub-zero temperatures mean more than half are already in doubt.
It will be the third week in a row that Scottish football has been almost wiped out by the wintry weather.
Only two games went ahead on Saturday, with Falkirk's Scottish Premier League match against St Johnstone called off just 80 minutes before kick-off.
The forecast is for the freezing weather to continue into the weekend, making it almost impossible for clubs with no undersoil heating to make their pitches playable.
Morton's home tie against Celtic is one of those in doubt. Officials at Albion Rovers, Forfar Athletic and Ayr United are already all but resigned to their games being postponed.
Treacherous conditions mean there is also no guarantee that cup games at Scottish Premier League grounds will go ahead.
Despite the pitches being playable, SPL games have been called off because of police concerns about public safety.
The Scottish Football Association say they will wait until midweek before considering the effects the freezing conditions might have on the fixtures, but promise there will be no repeat of the late postponement at Falkirk.
The latest a pitch inspection can be scheduled for a Scottish Cup tie is four hours before kick-off.
With Scottish football being hit hard during the coldest winter for 25 years, lower league clubs are to share £1.5 million to help ease the financial strain caused by the continued calls-offs.
SFA chief executive Gordon Smith said: "I must emphasise that this is a discretionary payment and is made on a one-off basis taking account of the financial position this year."
Clubs in the South and East of Scotland league will receive £7,500 each, with senior sides getting more.
Scottish Cup Fixtures
Saturday 9 January
Aberdeen v Hearts
Albion v Stirling
Ayr v Brechin
Dunfermline v Stenhousemuir
Edinburgh City v Montrose
Forfar v St Johnstone
Hibernian v Irvine Meadow
Inverness CT v Motherwell
Kilmarnock v Falkirk
Livingston v Dundee
Morton v Celtic
Partick Thistle v Dundee Utd
Raith v Airdrie Utd
Ross County v Inverurie Locos
St Mirren v Alloa
Sunday 10 January
Hamilton v Rangers
