MK Dons manager Karl Robinson (KR) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after the League One game between Carlisle and the Dons was called off at stadium:mk due to a partly frozen pitch just 75 minutes before kick-off, Robinson saying he is embarrassed about the situation :
JP
I am sure like everyone you are very disappointed today, what do you make of the way this has happened?
KR
Emotions are running very raw, embarrassed, disappointed, apologetic to the Carlisle fans who have come down here today, and the players and the staff who I have got tremendous respect for. But, we will have to make an official statement on Monday, I don't know the true ins and outs but the pitch wasn't playable and it wasn't safe for the two teams to take to this field, and it is two good teams playing fantastic football, very similar styles and this was a game I was looking forward to. I couldn't wait for this game to kick-off, I am gutted, I really am for everybody involved.
JP
In particular the first people you have mentioned there are the fans, the Carlisle fans, what a long way to come for it to be called off quite as late as it has today?
KR
Sorry, I am so sorry for them because, listen, I am a fan as well of this game and this industry and all I can do is apologise. To come down here and the outlay financially for the tickets and for the travelling expenses that they have paid to get down here. I think the chairman (Peter Winkelman) is feeding the fans as we speak and I am sure he is going to put something on, whether we can cover the costs of them getting down here for when we play on a Tuesday night, I think he is already talking about putting a coach on for the Carlisle fans to come to the game.
We will do our utmost when this tie goes ahead again to make their journey down here as easy as possible. It is just again for me as the manager of the football club, I hope you can accept my apologies, it is not something that we wanted and we are sorry for the outlay you have to put out today.
JP
It is fantastic of you to say that, I am sure they will be delighted to hear that as well will the Carlisle fans and I am sure we will find out more in due course on that one. I just heard you chatting as well with our colleagues from BBC Three Counties about how much you were looking forward to the game and how excited you were to be playing Carlisle United as well?
KR
Yeah, I go for a run every Saturday morning, not that my physique shows that, and then I go for a little walk as well for 35 minutes, and I get myself ready and I tend to come here for 1.30pm, which is generally late for a manager but we do an awful lot of work through the week and we started preparing from Monday morning. I will tell you now, Greg Abbott, and anyone whoever doubts the work he is doing needs to have a good look at themselves because where they are in the league is nothing short of a miracle, and the players they have got and the style and type of football that they play is magnificent.
This month we have got Carlisle, QPR now, Huddersfield, Sheffield United, and this was one of our toughest tests and I was so looking forward to it, I was so looking forward to two teams going toe to toe in the old fashioned way, we will have a go and you have a go, nothing held back. I thought the way we conducted ourselves at Carlisle earlier in the year was one of the best performances we have put up all season, and I am sure they will have wanted to come here and put a similar performance up against us. So, it had everything of the makings of a fantastic game, it has been taken away from all the fans and the players who were so looking forward to it.
JP
35 goals in the 7 games between Carlisle and MK Dons, incredible and I am sure we could have expected more today with the way the pair of you play?
KR
Yeah, the results have gone both ways as well, I am sure the wins have been very even, I remember getting beat here 4-3, I also remember you convincingly beating us twice at your place.
JP
Great banter with the fans you had in those games as well?
KR
I don't think they like scousers much to be honest with you, considering they have got John Gorman who keeps telling me he is a Carlisle legend, I was stood next to him trying to protect myself, but it didn't seem to work, I need to maybe change my accent a little bit the next time we play you. But, listen, it is part of the game, I respect the fact that they have got things to say and shout at me, I love it, I love it, I love the fact they have a go at you because it means that we are doing something right.
By, the way, what I would say while I am on is thank you for the way they conducted themselves at the end of the game, to applaud our team off after that victory was one moment I won't forget in this season. That was a true sign of fans that understand good football, so from us, we have never had the chance to say that, but thank you for the hospitality you showed after the game, maybe during the game I got a little bit of stick, but after the game they clapped us off.
JP
And one final point, you have said some lovely things about Carlisle, I am sure the fans will be delighted despite their disappointment today, one final thing then, do you think Carlisle are the real deal for the play-offs?
KR
Yeah, I am telling you know that there are teams in this league that fear Carlisle and we are one of them. I think Stevenage losing their manager (Graham Westley) this week is then going to be difficult for them to replicate it. A number of teams then below us have wins and losses on a regular basis and Carlisle have put a run of games together. Last year I think at the beginning of the year, were you second or were you up thereabouts, and sort of fell away. That was purely and simply because you were doing unbelievable in the cup competitions, and now you are out of them all that is going to stand you in great stead.
With Greg Abbott and Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and the staff that they have got and the players that have been assembled, I am sure there could be the chance of us seeing each other after we play in the league, but I wouldn't predict that Carlisle won't be in the top eight. Then it is down to us ourselves as well to try to be in that top six, and it is going to be a difficult ask, this is the toughest league there has ever been, and for ourselves and Carlisle to be in amongst Huddersfield, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton, it is great for us all just to be able to say that. We apologise that this game never went ahead, but when we play each other next time the same two sets of teams are going to go toe to toe again.