Premier League matches Wigan v Villa and Liverpool v Fulham called off because of snow

18 December 2010 11:30
Today's Barclays Premier League matches at Wigan and Liverpool have both fallen foul of the weather, the clubs have confirmed.[LNB]Wigan's home match against Aston Villa at the DW Stadium and Liverpool's game against Fulham were both postponed due to heavy overnight snow.[LNB]Temperatures were predicted to be minus 6 degrees at the scheduled 5.30pm kick-off time at Anfield, but conditions around the ground and on roads in the area forced an early postponement.[LNB] Snow joke: The north-west weather has caused the calling off of matches at Wigan and Liverpool [LNB]'Club officials met with the police this morning to assess the prevailing weather conditions,' said a Liverpool spokesman.[LNB]'The safety of all fans attending the game is paramount and although the Anfield pitch is playable, the conditions around the stadium and further afield for people travelling to the match are such that the decision was taken, following police advice on safety grounds, to postpone the game.[LNB]'All existing tickets will remain valid for the re-arranged fixture and supporters will be advised of the new date as soon as possible.'[LNB]POSTPONED MATCHES Barclays Premier LeagueWigan v Aston VillaLiverpool v  Fulhamnpower ChampionshipCardiff v BurnleyPortsmouth v ScunthorpeLeague 1Rochdale v BournemouthWalsall v SouthamptonHartlepool v CharltonLeyton Orient v PlymouthYeovil v CarlisleBrentford v HuddersfieldBristol Rovers v ColchesterMilton Keynes Dons v OldhamSwindon v TranmereDag & Red v PeterboroughLeague 2Bury v StevenageAccrington v Burton AlbionHereford v MacclesfieldCheltenham v StockportOxford Utd v ShrewsburyAldershot v Lincoln CityPort Vale v BarnetCrewe v BradfordNorthampton v MorecambeTorquay v RotherhamGillingham v ChesterfieldSouthend v WycombeBlue Square Bet PremierAFC Wimbledon v WrexhamGateshead v Hayes & YeadingBath City v SouthportCambridge Utd v DarlingtonGrimsby v Forest GreenBarrow v TamworthAltrincham v HistonClydesdale Bank Premier LeagueRangers v St MirrenAberdeen v MotherwellSt Johnstone v Dundee UtdHamilton v CelticThe Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Championship First DivisionQueen of the South v MortonRoss County v DunfermlineRaith v CowdenbeathSecond DivisionAyr Utd v Forfar AthleticBrechin City v East FifeDumbarton v PeterheadThird DivisionAlbion Rovers v Annan AthleticClyde v ArbroathBerwick v Montrose [LNB]The Latics earlier issued a statement confirming their game had been postponed, citing 'freak snow' as the reason.[LNB]A Wigan statement read: 'Today's Barclays Premier League game between Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa at the DW Stadium has been called off after freak weather conditions in the town overnight.[LNB]'The decision was made on the advice of Superintendent Stuart Ellison of Greater Manchester Police, on safety grounds.[LNB]'Despite the club's best efforts using today's game on by bringing in snow ploughs and gritters, the 10 inches of snow that fell overnight, and is still falling at the time of going to press, has made the surrounding area extremely hazardous for supporters travelling to the game.[LNB]'Public transport isn't running, there are motorway closures and the general condition of the surrounding routes is treacherous.[LNB]'The DW Stadium playing surface, ironically, is fine, with the undersoil heating doing its job, and the stadium is also okay.[LNB]'The club wants to apologise for the inconvenience this causes but the situation is beyond anyone's control. News of the postponement has been circulated as early as possible to all official news channels and news contacts.[LNB]'Club staff have also been unable to reach the stadium in order to send out text message alerts to Latics supporters.'[LNB]In the npower Championship, Cardiff's match against Burnley fell foul of the latest big freeze last night following heavy snowfall in south Wales.[LNB]Portsmouth's game against Scunthorpe became the second Championship match of the weekend to fall victim to the snow - the south coast club's second postponement in two weeks after ice and snow accounted for their clash with Burnley.[LNB]The League One games at Rochdale, Walsall, Hartlepool, Leyton Orient, Yeovil, Brentford, Bristol Rovers, MK Dons, Swindon and Dagenham & Redbridge are also off, along with those at Bury, Accrington, Hereford, Cheltenham, Oxford, Aldershot, Port Vale, Crewe, Northampton and Torquay in League Two.[LNB]In Scotland, Hamilton's home game against Celtic today became the fourth casualty in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League after the Rangers-St Mirren, Aberdeen-Motherwell and St Johnstone-Dundee United clashes were postponed yesterday.[LNB]Ten other games in the Scottish leagues have also been called off.[LNB] Pompey seek to head off Blackpool and Wigan by offering new deal to Nugent It's all in the head for football-crazy West Bromwich Albion star ScharnerSteve Bruce EXCLUSIVE: I love Sunderland but I'd like to boss EnglandBolton will listen to offers if Wigan want to keep hold of Al-Habsi, says Coyle Wigan midfielder Tom Cleverley could be free for Villa clash after X-rays show he hasn't suffered a fracture WIGAN ATHLETIC

Source: Daily_Mail