Storm Darragh: Every Premier League and EFL postponement as severe weather hits Yorkshire
A flurry of postponements have already been announced due to the inclement weather, with many fans now hoping their club will not be next to fall victim to the weather.
It is not just EFL sides being impacted, with the hotly-anticipated Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool no longer going ahead.
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Hide AdThere have also been postponements in the Championship, as well as one in League Two. For many, it is currently a case of waiting with bated breath.
Weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office, with a rare red warning issued for western and southern coastal regions of Wales, as well as the Bristol Channel.
Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United, Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers and Harrogate Town all have fixtures scheduled for today (Saturday, December 7).
Follow The Yorkshire Post’s live blog for the latest updates.
Storm Darragh's impact on football
Storm Darragh live updates
Welcome to The Yorkshire Post’s live coverage of Storm Darragh’s impact on football.
Stay tuned for updates.
Every game postponed so far
As it stands, the following games have been postponed across England’s top four divisions.
Everton v Liverpool (Premier League)
Cardiff City v Watford (Championship)
Plymouth Argyle v Oxford United (Championship)
Newport County v Carlisle United (League Two)
Looking good for Bradford City
A statement issued by Crewe Alexandra via social media read: “We remain confident that our fixture with Bradford City will go ahead.
Train warning issued
Travelling to a game by train? Checking the timetables before heading out may be a good idea.
Sam MacDougall, Network Rail’s operations director for the East Coast Route, said: “Our teams are working hard to prepare for the extreme weather Storm Darragh will bring to the East Coast, Yorkshire and the north-east this weekend.
“We hope this will help minimise any disruption the storm may cause but we urge passengers to check before they travel.“
Everton's statement
Everton have issued a statement following the postponement of the Merseyside derby.
The Toffees said: “Everton’s Premier League fixture against Liverpool, scheduled for 12.30pm (GMT) today, Saturday 7 December, has been postponed.
“Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6am on Sunday, today’s fixture should be postponed on safety grounds.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding. Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance.
“Information relating to a rearranged date for the fixture will be announced in due course.
“All tickets purchased for the original fixture will remain valid for the rearranged fixture.”
Another one bites the dust
It’s bad news for fans of Crawley Town and Stevenage.
A statement issued by Crawley read: “Crawley Town Football Club is disappointed to confirm that this afternoon’s match against Stevenage has been postponed due to the severe high winds in the local area.
“The difficult decision has been made in the interest of supporter safety at Broadfield Stadium, as the forecast only worsens in the hours leading up to kick-off. The Met Office has issued a red weather warning and are urging people not to travel unless necessary.
“Owing to the temporary nature of the East Stand, which is due to hold close to 1000 spectators this afternoon, the safety team at the club, alongside the Safety Advisory Group and the EFL have decided that the risk of potential structural damage is too significant to ignore.
“The club is naturally disappointed with the nature of the postponement but fully supports the decisions made.
“We will confirm a rearranged date with supporters in due course.”
Bristol Rovers v Bolton Wanderers is off
A postponement in League One, as announced by Bristol Rovers.
Updated postponement list
A fresh look at the fixtures postponed so far:
Everton v Liverpool (Premier League)
Cardiff City v Watford (Championship)
Plymouth Argyle v Oxford United (Championship)
Bristol Rovers v Bolton Wanderers (League One)
Crawley Town v Stevenage (League One)
Newport County v Carlisle United (League Two)
Rotherham United game off
Rotherham’s game against Blackpool is the latest to fall foul of the bad weather.
More called off in League Two
Notts County have confirmed their clash with Colchester United will not go ahead.
Barrow’s scheduled meeting with Milton Keynes Dons has also been postponed.
Steve Evans apology
Rotherham United boss Steve Evans has apologised to Millers fans following the postponement of their game against Blackpool.
“We are very fortunate as players and staff that we are paid to do a job in this game but our supporters have to work their respective jobs to raise the funds to come and support their team.
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“This decision, through no fault of Blackpool Football Club or our own, should, in our opinion, have been made yesterday, given the extreme weather warnings served across the UK.
“We felt that in the circumstances, with such warnings issued, the only correct decision would have been to postpone the game at the earliest possible opportunity.
“I’d like to apologise on behalf of the football club to our supporters and I hope that anyone who had begun their journey to Blackpool stays safe in these difficult weather conditions and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.”
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