Mark Clattenburg has told 67 Hail Hail that the decision to postpone the original fixture between Aberdeen and Celtic was the right call.
Aberdeen vs Celtic was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, which meant it had to be rearranged and add to the Hoops’ busy fixture schedule.
Celtic luckily have an excellent record in the league on a Wednesday night and will move up to second with three points at Pittodrie. At the time, there were moans and groans about the postponement, but Clattenburg says that was the right answer.
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Mark Clattenburg tells 67 Hail Hail why Aberdeen vs Celtic had to be called off
Sky Sports shared clips of fourth official Greg Soutar checking the pitch out before deeming it unplayable.
The decision sparked fury from the Hoops fans who had made the trip to the Granite City, but former FIFA referee Clattenburg said that it was the correct outcome.
“There are several factors that are taken into account when assessing the pitch but the most important of all is players safety,” he explained to 67 Hail Hail.
“The pitch in certain areas was waterlogged which could make it difficult for players to keep their feet as well as the ball sticking in the mud and water.
“The referee in my opinion made the correct decision to not allow the match to be played as it would have been worse to start the match and have to cancel at some time during the match.”
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The number of points Celtic and Aberdeen have won since postponement
Since the original fixture was postponed, both teams have been on very different trajectories.
Aberdeen’s new manager will be in the stands to watch them tonight, but knows he has a hell of a job on his hands to get them back to winning ways.
| Since postponement | Celtic | Aberdeen |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 4 | 3 |
| Wins | 2 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | 1 |
| Losses | 1 | 2 |
| Points picked up | 7 | 1 |
Martin O’Neill’s side have been much better, on the other hand, and have picked up seven points from the four league games they have played since then, whereas the Dons have a single point.
Relegation may be too much of a stretch, but a win for the Hoops will only pile on the agony even more.
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