'The bottom line is we have to learn from it' - Portadown director feels lessons need to be learned from Irish League postponements

With all five 3pm top-flight fixtures called off at various times across Saturday morning and afternoon, the Ports were due to face Coleraine at 5pm, but their clash was another casualty to the adverse weather caused by Storm Darragh and an announcement was made at 3:50pm.

However, just like in the Premiership meeting between Dungannon Swifts and Linfield earlier in the day, both sets of players were at the ground while a number of fans had either already arrived or were travelling to the County Londonderry venue.

The journey was roughly a three-hour round trip for those departing Portadown and Wiggins, who is Community Director at the club, was disappointed by Saturday’s developments.

"It was very disappointing,” he told BBC Sportsound. “With our kick-off time being later we had a lot of time to stew over it from early-morning and we were all questioning 'surely this is going to be called off?'.

"Everybody was at the ground and supporters were on their way. One supporters club had left earlier to make a day of it and a couple of other clubs were on their way.

"The most disappointing thing is the whole expense of it. It's a day wasted for people. The club have paid for buses, supporters clubs have paid for buses and it's a really disappointing thing to happen an hour and 10 minutes before kick-off.

"I don't think much really changed...in our WhatsApp chats a bus was leaving at 1pm and they thought they'd hear a call before that, but there was no call and then at 3:50pm the match gets called off.

"It's disappointing and unnecessary too because nothing really changed from the morning to 5pm. Why could it not have been called much earlier?

"Our striker Ahu (Obhakhan) lives in the Republic of Ireland so was on a train to Belfast when a tree fell on the line, he got a bus to Grand Central Station and then an Uber to catch the team bus at Fortwilliam - that's the sort of day somebody had to try and play a football match.”

With three of Saturday’s matches being called off 90 minutes or less before kick-off – Cliftonville’s home match against Carrick Rangers at Solitude, which was scheduled for 3pm, was also postponed at 1:34pm – Wiggins feels it’s crucial that improvements are made in the future.

"I don't remember a weather warning so strong for some time, so while I wouldn't want to give anybody the power to wipe out the full fixtures, I think if it's amber (weather warning) you have to play it by ear, but on the morning of the match when you look at every single weather app and you can see wind gusts of 60 or 70mph - the bottom line is we have to learn from it,” he added. “Going forward I would like to think calls would be made a bit earlier."

In a statement released on Saturday evening, NIFL said: "NIFL have been in regular consultation with clubs since Friday morning regarding the ongoing weather situation and seeking advice and updates from clubs," the spokesperson revealed.

"While a small minority of clubs would have liked games postponed yesterday (Friday) for different reasons, the overall majority wished to wait and make an informed decision this morning and with league rules and proper procedures and with consideration for sporting integrity with the close proximity of the transfer window.

"Five games have successfully gone ahead today (across the Irish League) but unfortunately losing two games late is disappointing for everyone. Details for rearrangements from today's postponed matches will be announced soon."