Heavy Rain Postpones Aberdeen Celtic Clash Disrupts Title Race

Football fans across Scotland were left frustrated and disappointed as severe weather conditions wreaked havoc on one of the most anticipated midweek Scottish Premiership fixture cards of the season. On February 4, 2026, heavy rain and persistent downpours forced the postponement of the highly awaited clash between Aberdeen and Celtic at Pittodrie Stadium, a match that was expected to have significant implications for the league’s title race.

The drama began to unfold early in the afternoon as weather warnings swept across the country. The Met Office issued a yellow snow warning for large parts of Scotland, and with heavy rain battering the North and East, concerns grew over the playability of pitches. For Celtic supporters, many of whom had already made the long journey north to Aberdeen, the news came as a bitter blow.

Aberdeen’s groundstaff worked tirelessly in the days leading up to the fixture, battling against relentless rain that had left the Pittodrie surface sodden and treacherous. According to an official Aberdeen statement, “Prolonged rain over the last few weeks has made the pitch heavy. The groundstaff have been working tirelessly to get it ready but there is an area of the surface at the Merkland end that is causing concern.” The club had proactively contacted the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) to arrange a pitch inspection ahead of the evening’s William Hill Premiership game.

The inspection was scheduled for 4:00 pm local time, and anticipation hung in the air as supporters waited for news. Ultimately, the referee’s inspection confirmed what many feared: the pitch was simply unplayable. Aberdeen promptly updated fans, and Celtic soon echoed the decision with a statement on social media: “Tonight’s match has been postponed following a pitch inspection. A new date for #ABECEL will be confirmed in due course.” The abrupt postponement left thousands of fans, players, and club officials scrambling to adjust their plans.

The impact of the decision rippled far beyond Pittodrie. Celtic, sitting six points behind league leaders Hearts, were denied a crucial opportunity to close the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. The fixture’s postponement means the pressure remains on Brendan Rodgers’ men, who must now await a rescheduled date to try and claw back ground in the title race. The delay also hands Rangers, currently trailing Celtic in the standings, a golden opportunity to leapfrog their rivals—provided they can secure victory in their own scheduled home match against Kilmarnock at Ibrox Stadium.

For Aberdeen, the postponement adds another layer of complexity to an already demanding domestic schedule. With fixtures piling up, both clubs will need to find a suitable date for the rearranged clash, a task that becomes increasingly challenging as the season progresses and weather disruptions mount. The SPFL now faces the unenviable job of slotting the match into a calendar already stretched by league, cup, and European commitments.

The weather chaos didn’t stop with Aberdeen and Celtic. Just hours earlier, the Scottish Premiership fixture between Dundee and Motherwell also fell victim to the elements. After a failed pitch inspection at Dens Park at 2:30 pm, the match was called off, prompting frustration from both clubs and their supporters. Motherwell issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience, noting, “We are disappointed that despite an early pitch inspection scheduled, a decision wasn’t made until this stage. We can only apologise for the inconvenience.” As with the Aberdeen-Celtic tie, the details for the rescheduled Dundee-Motherwell match will be announced in due course.

Elsewhere in the Scottish football landscape, the weather continued to play the spoiler. Highland League fixtures at Inverurie and Wick Academy were postponed, adding to the growing list of affected games across the country. Despite these setbacks, other Scottish Premiership matches scheduled for the evening—Livingston vs Falkirk, Hibernian vs Dundee United at Easter Road, and Rangers vs Kilmarnock at Ibrox—were set to proceed as planned, offering some solace for fans eager for midweek football action.

The disruption to the fixture list has intensified the intrigue surrounding the Scottish Premiership title race. With Hearts having drawn at St Mirren the previous night, the door was open for Celtic to apply pressure at the top. Instead, the postponement leaves the standings unchanged for now, and all eyes turn to Rangers’ clash with Kilmarnock, which suddenly takes on even greater importance. Should Rangers capitalize on Celtic’s enforced layoff, the balance of power in the league could shift dramatically.

For supporters, the postponements are a stark reminder of the unpredictability of Scottish football’s winter calendar. Traveling fans, particularly those who made the trek from Glasgow to Aberdeen, were left in limbo as announcements trickled in. The clubs, for their part, moved quickly to communicate decisions and apologize for the disruption, but the sense of disappointment was palpable. With both Aberdeen and Celtic confirming that new dates will be arranged, attention now turns to the SPFL’s fixture planners and the challenge of squeezing the postponed ties into an already congested schedule.

It’s not the first time Scottish football has been at the mercy of the weather, and it certainly won’t be the last. The combination of heavy rain, snow warnings, and waterlogged pitches is an all-too-familiar theme during the winter months. Clubs across the country routinely invest in pitch maintenance and drainage, but sometimes nature simply refuses to cooperate. As one official succinctly put it, “There comes a point when the safety of players and spectators must come first.”

Looking ahead, the Scottish Premiership’s reshuffled schedule leaves just three fixtures on the midweek card. Fans of Livingston, Falkirk, Hibernian, Dundee United, Rangers, and Kilmarnock will be hoping the weather holds off long enough for their matches to go ahead. Meanwhile, the title race remains delicately poised, with Hearts maintaining their six-point cushion at the summit and both Celtic and Rangers poised to pounce at the next opportunity.

As the rain continues to fall and the fixture list grows ever more complex, one thing is certain: the drama of the Scottish Premiership is far from over. Supporters will be eagerly awaiting news of the rearranged ties, knowing that every match could prove pivotal in the race for the title. For now, though, all eyes are on Ibrox and the remaining midweek action, as the league’s top teams look to make the most of their opportunities—whenever and wherever the weather allows.