After being thrown into doubt, Celtic vs Aberdeen has been called off after heavy rainfall forced the Dons to arrange a pitch inspection prior to the game.
The fixture was set to kick off at 20:00, but the Pittodrie side admitted around 15:00 that they were concerned about the 'prolonged rain' overnight.
In a statement posted to X, they said:
"Please be aware Aberdeen FC contacted the SPFL earlier this afternoon to arrange a pitch inspection ahead of this evening’s William Hill Premiership game between Aberdeen and Celtic. Prolonged rain over the last few weeks has made the pitch heavy. The groundstaff have been working tirelessly to get it ready, but there is an area of the surface at the Merkland end that is causing concern. A referee will inspect the pitch at 16:00, and we will update supporters as soon as a decision has been made."
It's never good news when a pitch inspection is called, and it's very concerning that Aberdeen decided to arrange one so late in the day. At this point, most buses travelling from Glasgow to the away game are already enroute, but they have been forced to turn around after the call made this afternoon.
Shortly after the inspection was carried out, Aberdeen posted to X:
"Our match this evening against Celtic has been postponed. Following an inspection by one of the match officials he has called the game off in the interests of player safety. Details for the re-arranged match will be published in due course."
Delay could hurt Celtic
After Hearts lost 1-0 to St Mirren, Celtic only need a win to move within three points of the league leaders. There is hope that the Celts would be able to snatch victory on the road, but a delay to the game will seriously harm their chances.
Fans were hoping that they could see the potential debuts of Junior Adamu and Joel Mvuka tonight, but they will have to wait a little longer now that the referee has made the call.
There is no doubt that supporters were up for the game today after the Hearts game, and they will have been eager to cheer on their team in an important fixture. Fans have already shown their anger on social media at the news of an inspection, with everyone in agreeement this should have been carried out earlier.
The game was set for broadcast on Sky Sports, and fans thought that might give it a chance of going ahead. Sadly though, that isn't the case, and it follows a more recent example of Dundee vs Rangers, which had to be delayed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Dundee also had to call a pitch inspection today for their match against Motherwell. Dundee and Aberdeen are in the same part of Scotland, only 66 miles away from each other, and it has been revealed that the referee has made the call to postpone their match.