Inverurie - 28/1/09 - Postponed

[delboy]

just seen the weather report and it looks like a lot of snow Sunday/Monday and freezing temperatures................

[numpty]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish...86908-21085448/

 

Exclusive: Inverurie Locos forced to dump 4000 pies after Scottish Cup motherwell

Jan 31 2009 By Charlie Gall

 

IT'S bad enough when your biggest-ever game gets called off four times - but now Scottish Cup hopefuls Inverurie Locos have another gravy situation on their hands.

 

The saga of their jinxed clash with Motherwell has forced the Highland League side to chuck away 4000 pies.

 

Locos caterer Harry Fraser originally ordered 2000 steak and Scotch pies to feed the sell-out crowd expected at Harlaw Park for the fourth-round showdown.

 

The pies all had to be junked when the game was postponed for the second time because of the freezing weather in Aberdeenshire.

 

And after Harry was forced to order 2000 more, the new consignment ended up in the skip as well.

Harry said yesterday: "Our pies are as good as you'll get anywhere. We order them the day before the match from Mills the butchers in Bucksburn and they come in fresh.

 

"If a game's postponed, we normally just stick the pies in the freezer and take them out for the next one.

 

"But the Motherwell game has been called off so many times that we've lost the last two batches."

 

Once Harry has frozen the pies, he has to take them out 24 hours before kick-off so they thaw in time.

 

And food hygiene rules mean they can't go back in the freezer when the match is called off.

 

Locos staff managed to scoff a few of the condemned pies but the vast majority had to be binned.

 

"They were thrown on the skip," Harry said ruefully. "It's sad."

 

Locos chairman Steve Innes admitted he had enough problems on his plate without the pie crisis.

 

He said: "It sounds almost laughable but there's a serious side. It's a further difficulty to add to everything else that's going on."

 

Steve is planning talks with Harry over the cost of the lost pies but it looks like the bill might not take too big a bite out of the club's finances.

 

Harry added: "I sponsor the Locos as well as doing the catering and I do them a good deal. Once it's all over, Steve and I will sit down, no doubt over a pie or too, and thrash things out.

 

"All we need is to beat Motherwell, beat St Mirren in the next round, then draw Celtic or Rangers at home.

 

"And as it stands, Locos - and our pies - are still in Europe!"

 

Steve added: "Harry is very sympathetic towards our cause."

 

Locos are at least guaranteed a good payday for the Motherwell game, since all 2500 tickets were sold before the first postponement.

 

But fans fear the tie might have to be moved away from Inverurie if the weather doesn't warm up soon.

 

Locos will try yet again on Monday night to get the game played but more freezing temperatures are forecast for the area.

 

If the pitch is still frozen, the match will be moved to Wednesday. And if all else fails, Locos will try to get the game in next Saturday.

 

The SFA have warned that if it's not played by then, they will have to "think seriously" about a new venue.

[gullane]

"The SFA have warned that if it's not played by then, they will have to "think seriously" about a new venue."

 

So they haven't started "thinking seriously" yet!!!

 

I'm neither a football administrator or a weatherman, but even I can see significant doubt in Inverurie being able to host this game this week. So why not switch it to Pittodrie now?

[underboyleheating]

Good luck Motherwell. Just don't f**k it!