Kirkcaldy refuse to play at seven hours' notice

THE long-running saga of the eight-times postponed Scottish Hydro Cup match between Kirkcaldy and Boroughmuir seemed to have been finally brought to a head yesterday, when the Scottish Rugby Union contacted both clubs at lunchtime and ordered them to play on the all-weather pitch at Murrayfield last night.

However, the governing body's efforts at finding a sporting solution to this problem were thwarted when Kirkcaldy informed them at around 5pm that they could not pull together a team at such short notice for the 8.15pm kick-off, and that they would vigorously appeal any decision to expel them from the cup as a consequence of their non-appearance.

The SRU says that it informed both clubs early yesterday morning that they were trying to find a venue to play the game in the evening, with Murrayfield being confirmed at around 1pm.

The championship committee, the body of club representatives which oversees the running of all domestic club competitions, met last night to discuss the situation and their findings should be publicised today. The competition rules dictate: "In the event of a dispute over the rescheduling of a postponed fixture, the Championship Committee has the power to arrange a date on which the fixture is to be played and also, if necessary, the venue. Club failing to observe a direction for the playing of a fixture shall be liable to disqualification from the cup."

Kirkcaldy will argue that seven hours' notice for assembling a team made up of amateurs is unreasonable – however it seems likely that the championship committee will take a dim view of the number of midweek and standby dates which have been passed up since the game was postponed for the first time on 21 November of last year.

As the home team, it was incumbent upon Kirkcaldy to find an alternative venue to play the match.

It was also claimed last night that Boroughmuir had made their home ground available on the weekend of Scotland's international match in Wales and even promised to pay for the bus from Fife, but Kirkcaldy declined that offer.

A similar situation to this occurred last year, and on that occasion the championship committee threw Cumbernauld and St Boswells out of the Cup on the basis of their inferior league position to their opponents. That decision came in for some heavy criticism at the time but the committee stuck to their guns.

Derek Harper, secretary of Kirkcaldy, said: "We have had about seven hours' notice of this game. We've got players in Edinburgh, Glasgow, farmers all over the shop, there is not a prospect of us being able to put a team out at such short notice.

"If matters disintegrate and we are thrown out then we would appeal any decision against the championship committee."

Harper also questioned why the SRU had not offered Murrayfield as an alternative venue on Tuesday night, when both teams were at nearby Meggetland and were ready to play only for frost to intervene yet again.

Cartha Queens Park are scheduled to play the team which emerges from this tie next Tuesday, with the third round of the cup due to be played the following Saturday.