January 14 2003

Simon Jordan

Simon Jordan is furious Bradford want to play the rescheduled match with Palace just three days before the Eagles' big FA Cup clash against Liverpool.

The cash-strapped Bantams want the game to be played on January 22, but Jordan is still seething after Saturday's match was called off at the last minute due to a frozen pitch.

He told Chris Fidler of the South London Press: "As soon as the game was called off we offered to play it this week, but Bradford said no. We don't feel it's right to play so near the Liverpool game.

"Last week we were told every day that the game was going to be on, even though we had heard the pitch was in a bad way.

"Then we had a referee who took one look at it on Saturday morning and said it was unplayable. Bradford were wholly irresponsible by insisting it was on.

"You can understand them wanting to play it to get the revenue in, but it has backfired on them because they now have to pay our hotel bills. It's sheer incompetence on their part."