SATURDAY had to be one of the most bizarre match days in the 137 year history of Cowdenbeath Football Club.

The team and directors had headed for Elgin City's Borough Briggs ground in beautiful warm sunny conditions, but from the moment they got to Elgin things started to turn pear shaped.

First of all match referee, Gavin Ross, was concerned at the state of the Elgin pitch, especially stones lying on the surface in some areas of it.

Indeed, the Cowdenbeath players were also shocked to see the amount of debris on the surface of it.

Manager Gary Bollan was most unhappy that someone could get badly injured trying to put in a sliding tackle.

Mr Ross decided that the pitch was dangerous and postponed the match so Cowden were left to head back home.

But because of a fatal accident on the A9 they had to head south via Aberdeen and as their Bay Travel coach was making its way along the road a pheasant cannoned off the windscreen smashing it.

Director Malcolm Slora said: "It certainly was the strangest of days.

"When we arrived in Elgin the sun was shining and it was a warm day and you thought perfect for football.

"But unfortunately the pitch was not. The players found stones, some small others not so small, on the surface and there were concerns about what could happen putting in tackles.

"The referee decided to call it off on safety grounds and then coming home we found the windscreen of the coach being broken by a bird hitting it.

"The driver did well to get us to Perth where we transferred to another Bay Travel vehicle, but it was really a strange all round day."

Elgin City did admit to having had problems with a lack of rain affecting preparation of the pitch but as they had hosted three games already this season they felt the game could have gone ahead.

The match has now been re-arranged for Saturday October 13, a free Saturday as it is an international weekend.