What’s the story?
Premier League supporters throughout the world may face a general feeling of helplessness and disappointment this coming weekend after news trickled in that a few of the weekend’s fixtures could be cancelled due to critical weather conditions in the United Kingdom.
According to the Sportbible, a large snow storm has been forecasted by the weathermen for the coming weekend. The warning read, “Cold northerly winds will bring frequent snow showers through Thursday and into Friday. Be aware of the potential for disruption to transport networks.”
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The United Kingdom is going through a severe cold wave with the temperatures of close to -10 degree Celsius being reported in some places. The chief forecaster also weighed in with his opinion saying that frequent snow showers could be expected with possible disruption to power facilities.
Scotland, North Wales and the north of England are at maximum risk, endangering the games to be played in the footballing heartland of the country, the north and the northeast of England. Bookmakers have also provided odds for the weekend fixtures being cancelled with bookies giving 4/1 odds to a Premier League game being called off this week due to extreme weather.
The heart of the matter
This weekend’s big ticket league fixtures include Manchester City vs Everton, Chelsea face defending champions Leicester City and the highly anticipated fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United.
Also Read: Greatest rivalries in Football history: Manchester United vs Liverpool
Chelsea will be looking to get back on track with a win against Leicester after their thirteen match win streak was halted by Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs last week. The Red Devils will be hoping to at least replicate, if not better, their goalless draw against Liverpool earlier this season.
What next?
Scotland, Wales and northern England are threatened by the snowstorm. While there is no doubt about the facilities at the football grounds and whether they can deal with the excess snowfall, there is genuine concern from the meteorological department for the amount of wind and snowfall that could be expected over the weekend.
Excessive snowfall would not only make for difficult playing conditions but also have a debilitating effect on transport services like trains, which are crucial for supporters who travel to stadiums to watch their teams in action.
Some fixtures could still be played, while others in worse affected parts of the region might be cancelled.
Sportskeeda’s Take
While none of us at Sportskeeda want the fixtures to be cancelled (the off-season and international breaks are bad enough), we will be resigned to the decisions taken in public interest by the authorities. We do enjoy the Premier League but would not want to see it being carried on at the expense of public safety.
