TONIGHT'S Fife derby between Raith Rovers and Dunfermline has been abandoned due to a power cut.

The match was halted little more than 10 minutes in after the lights in the concourse in the stands behind each goal failed, as did a Wifi system giving access to ticket holders.

Rovers director, Bill Clark, offered his "huge apologies" to everyone in attendance, with his club set to launch an investigation as to what happened.

Just under 15 minutes before kick-off, with the players having made their way back to the dressing rooms, Stark's Park's floodlights went out as the power around the stadium went down.

By the time of the scheduled kick-off at 7.45pm, the floodlights had come back on, and the game commenced after a five-minute delay.

Dunfermline had started the match well but, within 10 minutes, the fourth official was summound to the ground's control box, after which he then spoke with referee, Gavin Duncan.

Duncan then consulted with both managers, Peter Grant and John McGlynn, who then beckoned their players over with the match then abandoned.

The game was being broadcast live on the BBC Scotland channel and, addressing the media afterwards, Clark said that large numbers of fans at the home end of the ground were still waiting to get in, but the Wifi system using to scan QR codes on tickets also went down.

He said: "The first problem we had was with the floodlights, as everybody saw, but we managed to fix that. We also, however, have got a problem with the wifi system, and that controls our electronic ticketing, so we had hundreds of fans outside queuing.

"They were very angry, obviously, as they should be. So we couldn't let anybody through the gates on the advice of police.

"The other problem that we've got is that we can't get the concourse lights on in the two main stands, so there's a health and safety issue. As the night wears on, you can't have hundreds and hundreds of fans going out in darkness. So it really was a health and safety issue at the end of the day. I don't know if they consulted with the match commander - I assume there was some kind of communication - but it was was the referee who eventually decided to abandon the match.

"It's a massive disappointment. Huge apologies to everyone here - the supporters, all the people watching on TV and everyone else who assembled here for what should have been a cracking match. It's embarrassing for the club, but until we get to the bottom of it, and find out exactly what went wrong, I can't give any further explanation. We'll have to get electronics experts to have a look at the whole thing again. It's so unfortunate because this is the first night we've used these floodlights."

Mr Clark revealed that Rovers had spent a significant five-figure sum on a new floodlight system, which the club had tested before tonight's game, during the close season.

"They were tested. They were installed during the summer and tested to destruction, I would've said, and then tonight - somehow - all the office lights went out as well as the concourse," he continued.

"There's been a power surge or something, or an overload of some kind. We'll need to investigate it.

"It cost around £180,000 to install. It is the most modern system - it's the same system as Manchester United have.

"I suspect there might be repercussions for the club, but until we get to the bottom of what is actually the problem, I really don't know whether there will be repercussions or not, or it will just simply be that it will be replayed at a later date. That's about all I can tell you."

Pars boss Grant commented: "We’re disappointed for everyone, it was a fantastic night for football, a brilliant atmosphere, our fans behind the goal were right up for it and as a team we’d started pretty well, but then it was over.

"People are just getting back into games and this was a perfect chance to entertain them, so it’s a big blow.

"When we were in the dressing room before the game we knew the lights had gone out, but then we got the nod that we were good to know and thought everything was ok, game on, perfect.

"But then we saw the safety office talking to the fourth official, who called over the ref, who brought us in and explained situation. Once he did that, you just had to accept that safety came first – we’ve seen tragedies before at football grounds and we don’t want to see it again."

Rovers manager McGlynn added: "It’s a bit of a gutter altogether, a bit of a nightmare.

"The players weren’t happy and we can only apologise; it was something that was unforeseen. As a football club we’ll need to see what the issue was and how we can fix that issue then from the SPFL point of view getting the game on at a different time."