WEATHER REPORT Snow takes toll on regional sport
- Details
- Created on Friday, 18 January 2013 06:14
- Last Updated on Sunday, 20 January 2013 10:18
- Published on Thursday, 17 January 2013 06:14
Today replicates recent "normal" winter Saturdays with scores of pitch inspections and subsequent postponements due to inclement weather conditions.
Up until now it's been due to unrelenting rain. Today it's down to the cold snap, the forecast for heavy snow, plummeting temperatures and the knock-on effect for sports teams and their supporters in South Wales and South West England.
At 0930 Morecambe's pitch passed an earlier-than-anticipated check so tonight's League Two game against Mark Yates' Cheltenham Town is set to go ahead.
However Yeovil Town's home League One clash against Preston North End was psotponed this afternoon "for safety reasons" brought about by the worsening, freezing weather conditions.
Plymouth Argyle's League Two trip to Southend United was postponed following a 1030 pitch inspection. Temperatures have dropped to as low as minus nine at Roots Hall, freezing the covered pitch.
A heavily waterlogged Plainmoor pitch has caused the postponement of tomorrow's League Two clash between Torquay United and Chesterfield while "safety" issues have caused Bristol Rovers against Exeter City to be called off.
Today's horse racing at Chepstow is off and so is tomorrow's meeting over the jumps at Taunton Racecourse due to snow.
Pontypridd's British & Irish Cup tie at home to Jersey was one of the first matches to fall foul of the heavy snow in South Wales, swiftly followed by Bridgend Ravens against Jersey while Cinderford's home National League One match against Tynedale was also put on ice, due to heavy snow.
A handful of National Two fixtures including Hartpury College v Bournemouth, Henley Hawks v Taunton Titans, Reduth v Barking, Shelford v Cornish All Blacks and Southend v Clifton followed suit while in National Three South West, Chippenham v Amersham & Chiltern and Malvern v Newton Abbot were white offs.
By 1510 all National League One and National Two South matches had been postponed.
Forward thinking Bristol Ladies RFC have postponed both their fist and second XV Sunday home games.
Golf courses at Exeter, Launceston and Wrangaton - on the skirt of Dartmoor and under six inches of snow - have been forced to close today.
Bodmin Town's FA Vase home tie against Ashington - fixtured for tomorrow - was postponed yesterday to save the Northern League side a potentially hazardous 450-mile road trip to Cornwall today. The fourth round tie has been rescheduled for Saturday January 26.
Larkhall Athletic postponed their Vase tie against Peacehaven & Telscombe until next Saturday after snow-covered Plain Ham failed a morning pitch inspection while Bitton v Shildon also bit the (snow) dust.
A host of hockey matches have also succumbed to polar conditions sweeping across the country.
Will update you with more information throughout the afternoon and on our south west football and rugby fixtures pages.
See golf section for courses that have informed me - via twitter @swsportsnews - state of play today.
• SW golf courses state of play
• Snow go (picture courtesy Jon Stride/Yeovil & Sherborne Hockey Club)
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