Two Championship fixtures have been postponed due to frozen pitches with multiple League One and League Two matches also called off on Sunday
Two big Championship matches have been scrapped as freezing cold weather continues to wreak havoc on English football this weekend.
Sheffield United and Oxford United’s clash scheduled for 12pm was cancelled along with Portsmouth versus Ipswich which was set for 3pm on Sunday, January 4. They are among numerous EFL fixtures to fall victim to the conditions, with League One and League Two matches also taking a hit.
In a statement, Sheffield United said: “The referee was called to Bramall Lane this morning with parts of the playing surface frozen and following an inspection he has taken the decision to call off the fixture due to concerns over player safety. An announcement regarding a rearranged date will be confirmed in due course.
“Officials at Sheffield United are extremely disappointed the fixture could not go ahead. In the build up to the game, our pre-match procedures for forecasted low temperatures were followed, which included the use of our undersoil heating system. This morning a small section of the playing surface was raised as a cause for concern. With this area still part frozen, all attempts were made to address this section of the pitch for it to meet the standard required for the match to go ahead.
“The referee was then called in at the earliest possible opportunity to assess the playing surface. After he arranged an inspection, he deemed there to be a player safety concern, and opted to call off the fixture at 10am.”
Portsmouth’s Fratton Park was deemed to be unplayable after an 11am inspection on Sunday as temperatures failed to rise sufficiently. Two League One clashes already binned off were Doncaster versus Luton and Rotherham against Mansfield.
Doncaster’s game was called off early doors on Sunday morning owing to a frozen playing surface and icy conditions in the surrounding stadium areas. Doncaster said: “Throughout the week, the playing surface was double covered with frost sheeting and lighting rigs used to provide the best opportunity for the fixture to take place.
“But fresh overnight sub-zero temperatures have left parts of the pitch frozen with no chance of thaw ahead of kick-off, leading a match official to determine play would be unsafe during an inspection on Sunday morning. A rearranged date for the game will be confirmed in due course, along with information on the procedure for tickets purchased for the original date.”
Rotherham’s match was also postponed with officials deciding the pitch was too dangerous for competitive play. And in League Two, nine fixtures were axed.
Barnet vs Crewe, Barrow vs Bristol Rovers, Bromley vs Oldham Athletic, Colchester vs Accrington Stanley, Harrogate Town vs Swindon, Newport County vs Tranmere Rovers, Notts County vs Gillingham, Salford City vs Shrewsbury Town and Walsall vs Fleetwood Town have all been called off.
There’s still no word on when any of the postponed fixtures could be rearranged for at this stage, although there are plenty of midweek dates available in January, February, March and April.
As things stand, all six Premier League matches taking place on Sunday have avoided being postponed and are still scheduled to go ahead as planned. These include; Leeds United vs Manchester United, Everton vs Brentford, Fulham vs Liverpool, Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland and Manchester City vs Chelsea.