Cold snap hits sporting schedule

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  • xman
    Admin
    • Sep 2006
    • 24007

    Cold snap hits sporting schedule


    This weekend's sporting schedule has been heavily affected by the snow and freezing temperatures across Britain.

    Scotland is worst hit, with all Premier League football off and only one lower league game - at Alloa - still on.

    In England, Manchester United's Premier League match at Blackpool was postponed while many Football League fixtures also fell victim to the harsh weather.

    Pitch inspections may still take place, while three Premiership rugby union matches have also been called off.

    Clubs are advising supporters to check whether their matches are still on before travelling to venues.

    Blackpool's early Saturday evening match with Manchester United was called off on Friday afternoon when referee Peter Walton expressed concern that the frozen Bloomfield Road pitch - which does not have under-soil heating - would not thaw out sufficiently.

    Boss Ian Holloway had said it would be "embarrassing" if the televised match was postponed, but severe frost meant that much of the pitch become unplayable - despite ground staff working overnight with large hot-air blowers in an attempt to address the problem.

    The football matches postponed so far in the Championship are at Doncaster, Hull, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth and Sheffield United.

    Pompey stadium manager Derek Stone said: "The stadium is under six inches of snow, including the stands, walkways and emergency exits, and more freezing weather is forecast."

    In League One the matches at Hartlepool, MK Dons, Rochdale, Walsall, Leyton Orient, Yeovil, Dagenham & Redbridge, Brentford, and league leaders Brighton are all off.

    Just two fixtures remains in League Two with those at Accrington Stanley, Aldershot, Bury, Cheltenham, Crewe, Gillingham, Hereford, Port Vale, Southend and Torquay all hit.

    All Saturday's matches in the Blue Square Bet Premier must be rearranged for a later date., while only Newport County versus Cambridge United still on at present.

    The Magners League rugby union games at Glasgow, Connacht and Ulster on Friday were all casualties of the weather.

    South Africa's match against Barbarians at Twickenham on Saturday is still on, along with Leicester's visit to London Irish.

    But Friday's matches at Newcastle and Sale have been called off, as has Leeds Carnegie's on Sunday.

    In horse racing, Saturday's cards at Sandown and Wetherby have fallen victim to the weather, as have Kelso and Punchestown on Sunday.

    The Saturday meeting at Sandown was due to feature dual champion chaser Master Minded in the Tingle Creek Chase - that race has now been postponed by a week and moved to Cheltenham.

    On Sunday Exeter and Lingfield are currently scheduled to go ahead, although the latter at least may inspect after cancelling this afternoon's meeting.

    The meeting at Warwick will need to pass an inspection at 1400 GMT on Saturday with parts of the course still frozen.

    Monday's card at Bangor has been scrapped along with Tuesday's meeting at Sedgefield, as has Wednesday's at Hexham.

    Sport in Wales and Northern Ireland has been heavily affected, while many lower league fixtures in Great Britain are unlikely to survive.



    Full list of postponed sporting events:

    FOOTBALL

    Saturday

    Premier League
    Blackpool v Manchester United

    Championship
    Doncaster v Barnsley
    Hull v QPR
    Nottingham Forest v Bristol City
    Portsmouth v Burnley
    Sheffield United v Reading

    League One
    Brentford v Notts County
    Brighton v Colchester
    Brentford v Notts County
    Dagenham & Redbridge v Huddersfield
    Hartlepool v Southampton
    Leyton Orient v Carlisle
    MK Dons v Plymouth
    Rochdale v Charlton
    Walsall v Oldham
    Yeovil v Peterborough

    League Two
    Accrington Stanley v Shrewsbury
    Aldershot v Bradford
    Bury v Chesterfield
    Cheltenham v Lincoln City
    Crewe v Wycombe
    Gillingham v Rotherham
    Hereford v Morecambe
    Port Vale v Stevenage
    Southend v Macclesfield
    Torquay v Burton Albion

    Blue Square Bet Premier
    Darlington v Kidderminster
    Eastbourne Borough v Gateshead
    Forest Green v Luton
    Hayes & Yeading v Rushden & Diamonds
    Kettering v Bath City
    Mansfield v Barrow
    Histon v Fleetwood Town
    Southport v Grimsby
    Wrexham v Crawley Town
    York v AFC Wimbledon

    Scottish Premier League
    Aberdeen v Celtic
    Hibernian v St Mirren
    Inverness CT v Dundee Utd
    Motherwell v Kilmarnock
    Rangers v Hearts
    St Johnstone v Hamilton

    Scottish Football League Championship First Division
    Dundee v Cowdenbeath
    Dunfermline v Partick
    Falkirk v Raith
    Queen of South v Stirling
    Ross County v Morton

    Scottish Football League Championship Second Division
    Airdrie Utd v Forfar
    Brechin v Dumbarton
    East Fife v Livingston
    Stenhousemuir v Ayr

    Scottish Football League Championship Third Division
    Arbroath v Stranraer
    Berwick v East Stirling
    Clyde v Montrose
    Elgin v Albion
    Queens Park v Annan Athletic

    Saturday

    Blue Square Bet Premier
    Tamworth v Altrincham

    RUGBY UNION

    Friday

    Aviva Premiership

    Newcastle v Bath
    Sale v Gloucester

    Magners League

    Connacht v Aironi
    Glasgow v Treviso
    Ulster v Dragons

    Sunday

    Leeds Carnegie v Northampton Saints

    HORSE RACING

    Friday

    Exeter
    Sandown

    Saturday

    Sandown
    Wetherby

    Sunday

    Kelso
    Punchestown

    Monday

    Bangor

    Wednesday

    Hexham



    This story will be updated throughout Friday.



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