Gunners happy to cover fans' costs

Given the weather that enveloped the south of England, the Trotters supporters who made the trip were unhappy that after repeated assurances the game would survive, it was eventually called off less than five hours before kick-off.

As with the Carling Cup semi-finals at Blackburn and Manchester City earlier this week, the problem was nothing to do with the pitch.

In each instance, local police were concerned about the safety of supporters getting to and from the stadiums and also problems which might be encountered in surrounding areas, many of which were badly affected by snow.

Arsenal believe they acted responsibly but as a gesture to Bolton have agreed to pay the travel costs of supporters who were inconvenienced.

Birmingham say they are "extremely confident" tomorrow's game against Manchester United will go ahead, and Burnley are making every effort to ensure their Barclays Premier League match against Stoke goes ahead at Turf Moor.

A spokesperson said: "The pitch has undersoil heating and is currently playable, however our main concerns in terms of spectator safety are the surrounding streets."

A decision will be made later today on whether Sunderland's Premier League home game with Bolton can go ahead.

The city's Safety Advisory Group called an extraordinary meeting yesterday to discuss the implications of the ongoing wintry conditions gripping much of the country.

The group, which comprises representatives of Sunderland City Council, police, ambulance and fire services as well as the club, will meet again today, with weather forecasts suggesting that conditions will worsen over the weekend.

Group chairman Ken Scott, of Sunderland City Council, said: "It is too soon at this stage to make a definitive decision regarding the status of the match."

League One is facing a virtual wipe-out leaving just the fixtures at Leeds, Norwich and Southend to survive the wintry blast.

In League Two, only Northampton's meeting against Chesterfield at Sixfields is currently the only fixture to survive.

The big freeze has also wreaked havoc with the fourth round of the Scottish Cup with just seven of the 16 matches remaining.