Dunfermline: James McPake discusses Ayr kick off delay

The Dunfermline manager also echoed the club's statement ahead of the revised kick-off at Somerset Park, which said that the players' welfare was "compromised" by a delay of 45 minutes to the scheduled 3pm start, having arrived at the ground at 2.50pm.

The Pars said that the squad had spent more than five hours travelling to Ayrshire as adverse weather caused by Storm Bert caused significant disruption on roads across the country, whilst one of their players had been involved in a minor road traffic accident whilst on their way to a meeting point to join the team coach.

Prior to releasing that statement, Athletic had advised supporters against making the trip for the game, which was given a new kick off time of 3.45pm only 40 minutes before its original start time.

The club had also said they strongly disagreed that a 45 minute delay was "adequate time for mental and physical preparation for the match", and boss McPake was critical of the time taken to agree a start time.

"The issue was at half past nine this morning, when the bus had left East End Park, and how long it was going to take," he told the media after the game, which Dunfermline lost 1-0.

"Again, we knew the pitch was going to be good. We knew there's been a lot of investment on this pitch. For me, through the winter anyway, it's the best grass pitch in this league, so we knew there was no issue with the pitch, and I completely understand Ayr United's point of view on it as well, where we were asking for the kick off to be pushed back further. They weren't, because their players were preparing for a three o'clock kick off.

"That's completely acceptable in my opinion from Ayr United as well, but what I don't think is acceptable or right is the fact it took the SPFL until, I don't what time it was we got confirmation when the kick off was.

"It's the governing body, and it's the decision maker, and, again, this isn't an excuse because we lost the game in the 94 minutes, and, again, I'd have said this had we won the game, but I see other games getting moved back at different levels.

Dunfermline were beaten by a single goal at Somerset Park. (Image: Craig Brown.) "There might be reasons for that, I don't know, but the time it took them, and Scott (Brown, Ayr United manager) will say the same I'm sure, the time it took them to get to the point where they agreed that the kick off time would be this time - for me, it's baffling, if I'm honest."

McPake said that the club were in constant dialogue with the SPFL ahead of the game, and continued: "At no point did we want this game off.

"We had come off the back of a win. Scott will say the same - Ayr United had come off the back of a win. We would much rather be down here on a Saturday than a Tuesday night, particularly when we knew the weather was decent down here.

"But, again, the fact it took them so long to make a call on it, or to not even make a call - they never made the call, if I'm honest, it became between the two clubs and that's the way it was settled - for me, it's baffling.

"I see other countries, other leagues, where they just make a call on certain things and you've got to go with it.

Had they said it was a 3.45pm kick off at nine o'clock in the morning, or half past nine in the morning, great. Fine, we would've dealt with that, but not when it was after 2pm.

Again, it's nothing to do with the result. It did make it difficult. It seems everybody got through it injury-wise anyway.

"I think at times we can look into these things too much in terms of the preparation going into games. You can turn up and play a game, and Ayr had the same. They got the result today, they had the same problems today, albeit, not stuck in the traffic, but if Scott was in Edinburgh where he lives then he would've been stuck in it, but just the baffling or the sense that we couldn't get any sense to when this game would start."

In their statement, the Pars said: "#DAFC are extremely disappointed at the very limited additional time available to prepare for this afternoon's William Hill Championship fixture.

READ MORE: 'Players' welfare compromised' as Pars hit out over Ayr kick off time

"Our team and staff have endured a horrendous journey down to Ayrshire to fulfil our fixture, traveling for over five hours. A number of our players also struggled through awful conditions to get to team bus, including one who was involved in a minor road crash. Furthermore, the club had already advised supporters not to travel due to conditions along with Police warnings across the central belt.

"As the travel plans caused so much disruption, DAFC requested further time to ensure players could have time for nutrition and subsequent digestion along with adequate time for mental and physical preparation for the match. An extra 45 minutes was defined as adequate - something which the club disagrees strongly on.

"We believe that our players' welfare is compromised by this decision.

"Finally we would like to thanks all supporters backing the club at Somerset Park and from home this afternoon and wish those returning from Ayr a safe journey home."

The game, one of only two outwith the Premiership to be played across the SPFL on Saturday, was settled by Jay Henderson's second half strike that gave the Honest Men victory, with the result leaving the Pars second bottom of the Championship table.

The SPFL have been approached for comment.