TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Fragile Fernando Torres still vital to Liverpool's revival plan Rafael Benítez believes Fernando Torres can survive the busy Christmas period without further injury troubles telegraph.co.uk |
Big freeze ravages weekend fixture list • Five Premier League games among postponements• Only two games left in total in Leagues One and TwoThis weekend's football fixtures continue to fall victim to the vicious weather assaulting the nation, with Liverpool's home game against Tottenham and Hull's meeting with Chelsea the latest matches to join the list of postponements.The Anfield fixture on Sunday follows those that were due to be played at Sunderland, Fulham and Burnley in falling victim to Britain's severe winter. As with most games at the top level, where all clubs have undersoil heating, the problem is with the area surrounding the ground and roads.A Liverpool spokesman said: "The safety of our fans is paramount and an assessment of both the prevailing conditions and the weather forecast for the next 48 hours has been made in arriving at the decision to call off the match."Similarly, Fulham explained in a statement that their match was postponed "following an inspection of the areas surrounding Craven Cottage". Sunderland made their decision after consultation with the city council's Safety Advisory Group. "The early timing has been deliberate in order to avoid many thousands of people embarking on unnecessary and potentially hazardous journeys," the group's chairman, Ken Scott, said.Wigan Athletic had assured their fans that their meeting with Aston Villa would definitely be played, but a failure of the DW Stadium's undersoil heating means that there will now be a pitch inspection at 8.30am on Saturday morning.The games at Arsenal and Birmingham City are all still on. Hull had earlier released a statement saying they were "confident" that the visit of Chelsea would be played as planned. "Contrary to reports in sections of the national media, tomorrow's game is not in 'severe doubt'," it read. "Efforts are continuing to clear snow from around the KC Stadium and the club is confident the game will go ahead." Following safety advice, however, Hull have now been forced to postpone the fixture.The Coca-Cola Championship fixtures between Crystal Palace and Bristol City and Middlesbrough and Swansea joined those at Preston North End, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, which were called off yesterday, on the list of postponements. The number of games called off, and the number of fans likely to be put off from going to those that remain, will probably skew Football League statistics, released just this morning, trumpeting a 3% increase in attendances over the first half of this season. Apparently in December league crowds averaged 11,411, the highest since 1959.Coca-Cola League One and League Two have been decimated by the conditions with only the games at Leeds and Norwich City set to go ahead in League One, while Northampton Town have asked fans to help clear the pitch at Sixfields so their League Two game with Chesterfield can go ahead.The big freeze has wreaked havoc with the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. The Morton v Celtic and Kilmarnock v Falkirk ties were called off on Wednesday and eight more followed yesterday, meaning 10 of the 16 matches have been called off.In rugby union only one match remains in the Guinness Premiership. Leicester have brought forward the start of their game against Wasps so as to avoid the worst of the weather, and saved the fixture by removing more than 20 tonnes of snow from the Welford Road pitch and dumping it – with permission – in the car park of a local sports centre.Sunday's rugby league friendly between Huddersfield and Halifax, a testimonial match for England forward Eorl Crabtree, has also been postponed.Today's racing at Wolverhampton has been abandoned due to compressed ice particles within the track, with the meetings at Bangor and Fontwell also off. Saturday's valuable National Hunt card at Ffos Las has already fallen by the wayside. Monday's meetings at Ayr and Taunton have also been called off, as has Wednesday's meeting at Kelso.Postponed fixturesBarclays Premier LeagueBurnley v StokeFulham v PortsmouthHull City v ChelseaLiverpool v TottenhamSunderland v BoltonCoca-Cola ChampionshipCrystal Palace v Bristol CityPreston v DoncasterMiddlesbrough v SwanseaQPR v PlymouthReading v NewcastleSheff Wed v PeterboroughWatford v Sheff UtdLeague OneBrighton v BrentfordBristol Rovers v StockportCarlisle v MillwallCharlton v HartlepoolGillingham v TranmereMilton Keynes Dons v SwindonOldham v Leyton OrientSouthampton v HuddersfieldYeovil v ColchesterSouthend v WalsallLeague TwoAldershot v RochdaleBury v DarlingtonCheltenham v HerefordCrewe v GrimsbyLincoln City v AccringtonMorecambe v Burton AlbionNorthampton v ChesterfieldNotts County v MacclesfieldPort Vale v BradfordRotherham v BournemouthShrewsbury v BarnetTorquay v Dag & RedBlue Square PremierMansfield v LutonGrays Athletic v Hayes & YeadingEbbsfleet United v KetteringActive Nation Scottish Cup Fourth RoundAlbion v StirlingAyr v BrechinEdinburgh City v MontroseForfar v St JohnstoneInverness v MotherwellKilmarnock v FalkirkLivingston v DundeeMorton v CelticRaith v Airdrie UtdRoss County v Inverurie Loco WorksIrn-Bru Scottish Second Division:Cowdenbeath v ArbroathPeterhead v ClydeIrn-Bru Scottish Third DivisionBerwick v StranraerEast Stirling v Queens ParkChampionshipLeague OneLeague TwoScottish CupBlue Square PremierWeatherguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Soccer: Egypt Starts Well in Its Title Defense Egypt came from behind to beat Nigeria in the opening game in Group C of the African Cup of Nations. feeds.nytimes.com |
Notts County 2 Wigan Athletic 2: match report Notts County almost managed to demonstrate uncanny knack of defying natural order of things in enthralling FA Cup tie. telegraph.co.uk |
Sports Briefing | Soccer: Holden on Loan to Bolton Stuart Holden, a midfielder for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer, joined the English Premier League club Bolton until the end of the season. feeds.nytimes.com |