Rangers say sorry over Bairns pitch flare-up

Falkirk chief David White last night said Rangers directors had apologised for the damage caused to their plastic pitch by a flare.

The Ibrox club also pledged to pay the potential six-figure repair costs.

A flare was hurled on after the Light Blues 2-0 win and continued to burn for several minutes as stewards strove to extinguish the blaze.

“We will need to get it assessed,” said the General Manager.

“The whole cost of laying our pitch in the summer was £450,000 but there is a possibility we can patch it or do a whole new strip of green to go across the field.

“It has caused quite a substantial hole to the pitch which will need to be repaired before Tuesday night. We play Celtic here in the Under-20s League, so that is going to require immediate repair.

“We have been onto the manufacturers and, hopefully, they will get someone over before Tuesday but failing that the game won’t go ahead and we’ll have to repair it ahead of our game here next Saturday against Raith Rovers.

“It has taken the gloss off the victory for them. Rangers directors in the Boardroom are embarrassed by the situation and have apologised to Falkirk Football Club for a brand-new pitch being wasted by a moment of madness.

“They have already assured us that they will pay for all the damage that was caused by their supporters. They are as embarrassed as we are.”

Bairns manager Gary Holt had sympathy for the visitors. “I don’t think we are too happy about it and rightly so,” he said. “But what can Rangers do about it?

“It is mindless people who come to football sometimes and just want to be disruptive but you can’t ban everyone who wants to come.”

Events on the park were not much better for the home side. Falkirk keeper Michael McGovern told of his shock at Bairn David McCracken’s red card following a foul on Gers’ Nicky Clark.

“At the time it didn’t cross my mind it was a sending-off,” he said. “I thought David got a bit of the ball and I was in two minds whether to pick it up in case it was judged a pass-back.

“I thought it was a good tackle and that there was no way he’d have meant to pass it back so I would be okay.

“When the referee blew I thought he was blowing. I’m not having a go at him because he’s got a hard job to do.

“It was hard to take for us because although they missed the penalty the sending-off really changed the game immensely.”