Cowdenbeath manager Bollan "frustrated and annoyed" after late Rangers cup game call-off
Cowdenbeath manager Gary Bollan was left "frustrated and annoyed'' after his side's William Hill Scottish Cup tie against Rangers was postponed less than three hours before kick-off.
It is understood the Scottish Football Association called in local referee Scott Millar to perform a pitch inspection and he deemed a corner of the surface frozen and unplayable.
The Ladbrokes League Two club were caught out after wind temporarily blew covers off a small area of the Central Park pitch.
Bollan said: "We're frustrated and disappointed as we've prepared all week for this. To get to this late stage on the Friday night right before the game and so close to kick-off is massively disappointing.
"We're annoyed as well. At this moment in time, just under three hours before kick-off, the area in the corner is touch and go. It's firm but I wouldn't say it's dangerous as such.
"With a bit of work between now and kick-off it could have been made playable. Everywhere else is absolutely ideal.
"When I arrived at the ground I asked about the state of the pitch and was told about the one bit in the corner but the guys said they were hugely confident the game would go ahead.
"So it's a bit of a surprise that the referee was called at half-past four.
"I've got to take on board the referee's reason - but players have played on worse.''
The Fife club's secretary, David Allan, added: "We put the covers on the pitch on Wednesday but the problem was there was a big gale which lifted a couple of the sheets off and exposed two or three areas to the cold.
"We put the covers back on but the areas exposed are the side of the pitch which does not get much sun.
"We did various things today to ensure the pitch was playable but there are two areas which are just too hard.
"The referee will not be a popular man I guess but I don't blame him. He had a difficult job and I made sure no one from either side went out to influence him.
"This is the problem with winter in Scotland. We could have called the game off early but we wanted to give it every chance of the game going ahead.''
The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 30 and Bollan now faces the headache of trying to get his part-time players free to play.
The former Rangers player said: "We didn't think Rangers would be rusty but they have had two weeks off and I know from being a player myself that practice games aren't the same as competitive matches so that chance to catch them at 100 per cent is gone now.
"For this big an occasion and all the work that have gone on, it's massively disappointing.
"Hopefully we'll still get the TV money if Premier Sports come back on January 30.
"I just hope the guys who have taken time off their work to get here are allowed to do the same again a week on Wednesday by their employers."