Bristol City boss Gary Johnson insists the chain of events leading to Saturday's game at Crystal Palace being called off should not be allowed to happen again.

Johnson is still upset that he and his team were advised to travel on Friday afternoon, only for the Championship fixture to be postponed by match referee Kevin Wright before the team coach could even arrive in the capital.

Having informed City at 2.30pm that the Selhurst Park pitch was fine, Crystal Palace officials then announced at 4pm that a pitch inspection would follow an hour later.

The referee finally inspected at 6pm, took the decision to have another look on Saturday morning, before changing his mind just moments later and calling the game off.

Frustrated that he and his players were made to waste so much time on what was ultimately a futile journey, Johnson pointed the finger of blame at all parties involved in the postponement.

He fumed: "I feel all parties disrespected us by leaving the decision as late as possible on Friday in order to get the game on.

"In the lead-up to the game, I called for an early decision and we were delighted to be travelling when we got the call at 2.30pm to say the game was on.

"However, to then have an inspection and call the game off four hours later, knowing that we had travelled, was very disappointing.

"With the Football League, the Metropolitan Police, the local council, the club and the referee all involved, surely it should not have taken that long to come to that decision.

"I just think this sort of thing should not happen to any club again."

The farcical events prior to the game being called off will serve only to worsen relations between two clubs which have not seen eye to eye on a number of issues in recent seasons.

Relations between City and Palace were initially soured when the south London club complained at the manner in which the Robins celebrated David Noble's last-minute play-off semi-final winner at Selhurst Park in May 2008.

The teams then contested a highly-charged encounter at Ashton Gate seven months later, which culminated in a brawl in the tunnel as the players walked off at the end of the game.

Palace were then enraged by the infamous goal that never was, scored by Freddie Sears and disallowed by referee Rob Shoebridge, in the last meeting at Ashton Gate in August.

Eagles chairman Simon Jordan afterwards branded City 'cheats', a charge vigorously denied by Robins chairman Steve Lansdown and manager Johnson.

And relations took a further turn for the worse when Palace delayed paying the final instalment of the transfer fee agreed with City for midfielder Nick Carle, who switched from Ashton Gate to Selhurst in June 2008.

City and Palace have yet to agree a new date for Saturday's postponed game, but it is unlikely to be played this month.