Celtic have demanded answers after their match against Aberdeen was postponed four hours before it was due to start.
The game at Pittodrie was called off by Scottish FA official Greg Soutar at 4pm on Wednesday following a pitch inspection.
Concerns were raised over player safety as a section of the penalty area had turned to soft mud after prolonged periods of rain.
Fourth official Greg Soutar told Sky Sports: "There was an area of concern raised at the bottom end within the penalty area.
"I have went down there and had a look at that. There is extremely soft mud, it is moving when you put studs in it.
"There is concern for the player safety when they are running in that the boot will just slip, it is not taking studs.
"The ball is also not bouncing in that area, and all that taken into consideration the player safety is paramount to this decision and I just couldn't ensure that."
Asked if it was an easy decision, he said: "I had a look at it. It is not one that I thought was in doubt; it was a fairly straightforward decision in respect of player safety."
Celtic have directly approached the SPFL after the late call-off to query whether the SPFL Pitch Inspection Protocol was properly followed.
While the Parkhead club have accepted the decision to postpone the match, they condemned the timing of the postponement as "extremely regrettable," issuing an apology to their supporters.
A club statement read: "It is extremely regrettable that last night’s match against Aberdeen was postponed, particularly at such a late stage.
"While we understand the decision, clearly, we sympathise with our supporters, many of whom had begun making their journeys or had arrived in Aberdeen already.
"We have raised the matter with the SPFL, to understand whether the SPFL Pitch Inspection Protocol was followed correctly.
"In our view, there must be the ability to make earlier decisions on matches.
"We are very sorry that our fans have been inconvenienced in this way and thank you sincerely for your support."
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