The FA Cup third round matches are under threat due to bad weather and teams will have to work hard to provide a playing field that is deemed safe.
Weather is expected to wreak havoc on the football calendar once again as teams scramble to avoid canceling games in the aftermath of Storm Goretti. The storm terrorized the nation with sub-zero temperatures and a flurry of warnings about snow and ice.
Rail services have been disrupted, schools have been closed and tens of thousands of people face widespread power outages. On Friday, the Met Office issued an unusual red alert for “dangerous storms” in parts of the county, with Britons seeing travel disrupted as extremely strong winds and heavy snow hit transport systems.
The FA Cup third round is due to start this weekend, but it has already been postponed for the first time. Salford City have admitted they took early action to delay their fixture against Swindon Town.
Salford City’s FA Cup match has been postponed (Image: Matt West/Shutterstock (16081493dc))
“Salford City’s Emirates FA Cup third round match against Swindon Town on Saturday has been postponed due to a frozen pitch,” a statement said.
“Due to sub-zero temperatures expected, tarps have continued to be placed on the pitch in recent weeks and heat lamps have been moved around the pitch throughout the week to help thaw the pitch.
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“However, despite the best efforts of our ground staff, there are still areas of the pitch that are frozen and the decision was taken early in conjunction with the FA and Swindon to avoid unnecessary disruption to our traveling supporters.”
A number of Ligue 2 matches are also being held, but some teams have already decided to postpone them. Chesterfield, Oldham Athletic and Accrington Stanley have all canceled their league matches due to the weather.
All 64 clubs remaining in the FA Cup will receive a deposit from the competition’s prize fund, depending on whether they win or lose a tie. Those involved in the TV broadcast can earn an extra £80,000 on linear channels, while clubs taking part in matches streamed on Discovery Plus will have an entry fee of £40,000.
The draw in the FA Trophy was also subject to weather conditions, with the match between Kidderminster Harriers and Morecambe being postponed and rescheduled for Tuesday 13th January. Match officials made the decision after inspecting the pitch at Abborough Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Thousands of people are still without power (Image: Getty Images)
Heavy rain, snowfall, and ice left surfaces soggy. With temperatures further dropping, it was said there was “no prospect that the pitch would be playable” on Saturday.
See the full list of FA Cup and League matches below, with postponed matches clearly marked.
Friday, January 9, 2026
19:30: Milton Keynes Dons v Oxford United 19:30: Port Vale v Fleetwood Town 19:30: Preston North End v Wigan Athletic 19:30: Wrexham v Nottingham Forest Saturday 10 January 2026
12:15: Cheltenham Town v Leicester City 12:15: Everton v Sunderland 12:15: Macclesfield v Crystal Palace 12:15: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Shrewsbury Town 15:00: Boreham Wood v Burton Albion 15:00: Burnley v Millwall 15:00: Doncaster Rovers v Southampton 15:00: Fulham v Middlesbrough 15:00: Ipswich Town v Blackpool 15:00: Manchester City v Exeter City 15:00: Newcastle United v AFC Bournemouth 15:00: Salford City v Swindon Town – Postponed 15:00: Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford 15:00: Stoke City v Coventry City 17:45: Bristol City v Watford 17:45: Cambridge United v Birmingham City 17:45: Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa 17:45: Grimsby Town v Weston-super-Mare 20:00: Charlton Athletic v Chelsea
league 1
12:30: Luton vs Stevenage
12:30: Stockport County v Huddersfield Town
15:00: Bradford City v Rotherham United – Postponed
15:00: Leyton Orient vs. Cardiff City
15:00: Peterborough United vs Bolton Wanderers
league 2
15:00: Accrington Stanley v Barnet – Postponed
15:00: Chesterfield vs Colchester United – Postponed
15:00: Crewe Alexandra v Harrogate Town
15:00: Oldham Athletic v Notts County – Postponed
15:00: Tranmere Rovers v Bromley
Sunday, January 11, 2026
12:00: Derby County v Leeds United 14:00: Portsmouth v Arsenal 14:30: Hull City v Blackburn Rovers 14:30: Norwich City v Walsall 14:30: Sheffield United v Mansfield Town 14:30: Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion 14:30: West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers 16:30: Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Monday, January 12, 2026
19:45: Liverpool vs Barnsley
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