Fifers press claim for compensation over late postponement

Dunfermline will press their case for compensation in planned talks with SFA chief executive Stewart Regan as they continue to feel the effects of their postponed meeting with Kilmarnock in December.

The Pars have calculated they lost around £50,000 because the 10 December encounter at East End Park was controversially called off by referee Bobby Madden due to fog just 90 minutes before kick-off.

Chairman John Yorkston described Madden’s decision as “absolutely ridiculous”, with the mist clearing completely – allowing manager Jim McIntyre’s squad to train on the pitch – by the 3pm kick-off time.

The loss of revenue resulted because the stewards and police had to be paid, hospitality users were already in place, the undersoil heating had been used and the subsequent rearranged fixture was played on a less-lucrative Tuesday night.

It was, with the then unpaid £84,000 of ticket money from Rangers, one of the issues blamed by the Fifers for their inability to pay their players and staff their salaries in full for February.

The wages problem was resolved last week following the transfer of a first instalment from the Ibrox administrators and Dunfermline have already put into place contingency plans based on not receiving a further payment of almost £50,000, which is the remaining sum due from Rangers before 13 April.

However, Dunfermline remain intent on officially raising their grievances over the Kilmarnock call-off with the SFA after being offered a formal get-together by Regan.

Yorkston said: “We got a letter from SFA chief executive Stewart Regan denying all liability and claiming they are not responsible for the referees. But he did offer us a meeting and we have indicated we want to take him up on that.”