MORTON manager Jim McInally was last night critical of the SFA for sanctioning two Scottish Cup replays at the same ground within 24 hours.
Gretna's fourth round replay with Morton at Fir Park fell foul of the weather as it was called off just an hour before kick-off last night because of a waterlogged pitch.
The replay has been rearranged for Monday but Fir Park could now host five g
ames in just nine days from this Saturday. Motherwell have two SPL games and a Scottish Cup fifth round tie, while Gretna will also play at home should they progress in the competition.
Gretna's landlords Motherwell had defeated Hearts 1-0 at Fir Park just 24 hours previously and McInally admits two games in two days with the torrential rainfall always put the tie in jeopardy.
McInally said: "Common sense would maybe tell you it's pretty hard to play two games in two nights when there's been a lot of rain.
"It's not an ideal situation for anyone for two clubs to play at the one park and to have cup replays at the same time."
Gretna chief executive Graeme Muir added: "Summer football for me and the sooner the better. This is ridiculous. We need to have a radical look at it but we keep saying that and nothing happens."
Referee Kenny Clark said the heavy downpour and the surface water on the playing surface left him with no choice but to call off the tie.
Clark said: "The pitch was waterlogged and it would have represented a danger to the players because of the inability to stop themselves in challenges and in particular to goalkeepers with forwards coming in.
"Over and above that, the game would be a lottery. But it's one of those things, you can't legislate for that amount of rain falling in a short period of time."
The full article contains 321 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
