Source: Team_Talk
Hearts v Killie clash called off
The two clubs agreed the decision to postpone the clash was the right one after Killie's team bus was caught up in motorway chaos.
The match in Edinburgh was called off at approximately 1.45pm as a result of the gridlock on the M8, caused by a lorry fire near the Kirk O'Shotts exit that sparked massive tailbacks.
The Killie bus and several hundred of their fans were caught up in the congestion and had no chance of making the match for the scheduled 3pm kick-off time. The Killie players are even understood to have begun a training warm-up on the edge of the motorway in the hope the traffic would eventually start moving.
Only around six Kilmarnock players had arrived at Tynecastle independently, alongside manager Jim Jefferies and assistant Billy Brown.
With kick-off likely to have been delayed until around 5pm, it was decided after discussions with Jefferies, Hearts counterpart Csaba Laszlo and referee Willie Collum to call the game off.
It was deemed inappropriate to let fans, who had already started gathering at the stadium, wait that length of time for the match.
The fixture has now been rescheduled for this coming Tuesday night with a 7.45pm kick-off.
Hearts managing director Campbell Ogilvie said: "We took all the factors into account. We had a meeting with the police, the managers of both clubs and the referee.
"The Kilmarnock team bus was still at Eurocentral and the traffic probably wasn't going to start moving until at least 2.30pm. The earliest the kick-off could have been was potentially 4-5pm.
"There was nothing else we could do. The spectators would have been hanging about for some time and the Kilmarnock team would have had no time for preparation, not even a pre-match meal."
Jefferies had a number of players struggling with injury for the meeting but was still disappointed at the manner of the call-off on a perfect, sunny afternoon for football in the capital.
He said: "I think the right decision was taken. I've had players on a bus since 10am leaving Kilmarnock. Our supporters were also struggling probably to get to the game.
"We are all disappointed as, obviously, we were all looking forward to the match.
"But common sense has prevailed, the quickest the game could have kicked off according to the police would have been at 4.30 to 5pm.
"For our players, waiting that length of time, it wouldn't have been the best preparation.
"It was the right decision, everybody agrees, and it will go ahead on Tuesday night."
Jefferies feels his players will not be unduly affected by having to adjust for the midweek match and added: "We will just prepare for it as if it was another game, like having a cup tie in midweek.
"It's not going to upset us too much. It's just disappointing not to play again after having a free weekend last week for the internationals."
