Sheffield United’s Championship clash with Oxford United was sensationally called off this morning, as a bitter freeze wreaks havoc across the EFL. The referee’s 12pm pitch inspection at Bramall Lane found patches of ice, leaving thousands of fans fuming and the fixture list in tatters.
In total, a whopping nine games across the Championship, League One and League Two has been postponed. The deep freeze shows no sign of letting up, leaving clubs and supporters with a massive fixture headache as we head into the festive period.
A Blades spokesperson confirmed the late call, saying: “Following a pitch inspection by the match official, areas of the Bramall Lane surface was deemed unplayable due to being frozen. The safety of players and supporters is paramount.” Over in League One, Doncaster’s meeting with Luton and Rotherham’s game against Mansfield also fell foul of the conditions.
The lower leagues took the biggest hit. Five League Two games were already binned on Saturday, and they were joined by Colchester vs Accrington and Newport vs Tranmere after failed inspections this morning. That means Bromley, Harrogate, Notts County, Salford and Walsall all see their Sunday plans scuppered.
For the Blades, it’s a frustrating delay in their push for promotion. Chris Wilder’s side will have to squeeze in the rearranged fixture in an already packed schedule. Oxford, meanwhile, will have to wait for a crack at a big away day.
The broader picture is a nightmare for EFL fixture planners. With more cold weather forecast, there’s genuine fears of a major backlog. All eyes now turn to the midweek programme, with groundsmen across the country facing a race against time to get pitches playable. For fans up and down the country, it’s another weekend where the British weather has won.
