Fixtures off as cold snap bites in the UK
Portsmouth’s home match against Hull became the first npower Championship fixture to fall victim to the weather as it was postponed due to a frozen pitch this morning.
Fratton Park passed an initial pitch inspection yesterday, but referee Darren Sheldrake returned this morning and found the surface to be unplayable following freezing temperatures overnight.
Doncaster's match against Reading became the second Championship fixture to go after freezing temperatures hit the Keepmoat Stadium overnight.
Several matches in the lower leagues have already been called off.
League One leaders Charlton postponed their match with Rochdale this morning, while Scunthorpe called off their meeting with Walsall.
Charlton reported overnight temperatures of minus six on their website today, and they called in the referee early to make a decision.
Glanford Park also reached minus six overnight.
The postponements mean six of today’s League One matches are off with those between Colchester and Sheffield United, Notts County and Stevenage, Oldham and Leyton Orient, and Preston and Brentford already gone.
Bradford's game against Crawley Town has been postponed, leaving Plymouth's clash with Southend as the only remaining match in League Two.
AFC Telford’s Blue Square Bet Premier encounter with Forest Green has also fallen victim.
In the Irn Bru Second Division, all five matches were off, while the matches between Berwick and Peterhead, and Elgin and Clyde were postponed in the Third Division.
Racing has also been heavily hit, with the meeting at Ffos Las called off this morning to wipe out today’s jump schedule, as Sandown and Wetherby were called off yesterday.
Ffos Las was due to stage its biggest meeting of the National Hunt calendar, with Oscar Whisky, who runs in the colours of Ffos Las owner Dai Walters, set to defend his crown in the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle.
Sunday’s meeting at Kempton will be subject to an 8am inspection tomorrow due to the threat of overnight snow.
In rugby league, though, today’s Stobart Super League matches at London Broncos and Salford will go ahead following pitch inspections.
The friendly between South Wales Scorpions and Wigan has been switched from Neath, where the playing surface is frozen, to Llandarcy Academy of Sport and will take place on a 3G pitch.
