The Championship match between Sheffield United and Oxford United has been called off this weekend as bad weather continues to disrupt English football. There are a number of games affected across the EFL, with League One and League Two games also postponed.
The second match of the Championship, Portsmouth v Ipswich, has also been cancelled. In a statement, the Blades said: “The referee was called to Bramall Lane this morning with parts of the playing surface icy and following an inspection he made the decision to abandon the match due to concerns for player safety.” “We will inform you about the postponed schedule at a later date.
“Sheffield United officials deeply regret that this match could not take place. In the preparations for the match, pre-match protocols were followed in response to the expected low temperatures, including the use of an under-ground heating system.”
“A small section of the playing surface was raised as a cause for concern this morning. As this area is still partly frozen, every attempt has been made to address this section of the pitch to meet the necessary standards for the match to proceed.”
“The referee was then called at the earliest opportunity to assess the playing surface. After arranging an inspection, the referee decided there were concerns for the safety of the players and chose to stop the match at 10am.”
The two League One games that have already been called off are Doncaster vs. Luton and Rotherham vs. Mansfield. Five games in League Two were postponed on Sunday, with a further two games canceled following pitch inspections on Sunday morning.
Sheffield United’s match against Oxford was scheduled to kick off at noon, with pitch inspections scheduled ahead of Portsmouth’s match against Ipswich at 3pm. Temperatures on the south coast dropped well below freezing on Saturday night, putting the match in jeopardy, with Portsmouth announcing the postponement shortly after 11am.
The club announced: “The #Pompeys Championship game against Ipswich has been postponed due to frozen pitch.” “After inspecting the surface at Fratton Park at 11am, referee Lee Doty made the call.
“Portsmouth was hit with sub-zero temperatures overnight and frost cover has been in place since Friday. Information for supporters who have purchased tickets or hospitality packages for this match will be announced in due course.”
Doncaster have admitted that sub-zero conditions overnight played a part in the game against Luton failing pitch inspection. “Throughout the week, the playing surface was double covered with frost sheeting and lighting equipment was used to provide the best opportunity for matches to be played,” they said in a statement.
“However, sub-zero temperatures overnight caused parts of the pitch to freeze, with no chance of thawing before kick-off, and match officials deemed it unsafe to play following an inspection on Sunday morning. The rescheduled match dates will be confirmed in due course, along with information on procedures for tickets purchased on the original date.”
