FA Cup third round postponement latest as Met Office upgrade Storm Goretti warning
FA Cup third round fixtures up and down the country are at risk of postponement amid the arrival of Storm Goretti.
Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Liverpool on Thursday is under threat of the weather, which has already caused disruption to countless games.
Frozen pitches, ice and snowfall have already seen several fixtures called off in recent days, with many more under inspection before they can go ahead.
Premier League games on Wednesday were under threat of postponement, but all appear to have avoided the harshest conditions.
Nottingham Forest’s trip to Wrexham in the FA Cup is one of the games at risk, with the Championship club’s Racecourse Ground offering little protection from the elements.
Met Office upgrade weather warning
Friday will see four FA Cup fixtures take place in the third round. Wrexham will take on Nottingham Forest, with Preston North End set to host Wigan Athletic.
Elsewhere, MK Dons will attempt to get past Oxford United, and Port Vale will look to see off Fleetwood Town.
Saturday will feature other clashes throughout the day, including an all-Premier League affair when Everton take on Sunderland.
Other interesting meetings on the day include Middlesbrough‘s trip to face Fulham, Manchester City‘s hosting of League One‘s Exeter City, Newcastle United against Bournemouth, Tottenham against Aston Villa, and a London derby, when Chelsea travel to Charlton Athletic.
All of those games are currently safe from the threat of Storm Goretti, but the same cannot be said of Friday’s games.
The Met Office have expanded their yellow warning for snow with the storm’s arrival on Thursday, with some areas upgraded to an amber warning.
Only Preston’s tie with Wigan currently falls outside of the area of effect, with the other three venues under threat of falling inside the amber warning zone.
Fans should be weary when travelling
On Tuesday, games set to take place in the lower leagues were postponed in their handfuls, amid the onslaught of snow.
With Storm Goretti rapidly approaching, those conditions are only set to worsen, and fans should be mindful that not only pitches will be affected.
Roads and train tracks will also be subject to the snow, with delays across the country a certain inevitability.
Fans set to embark on long journeys should pay particular attention to weather advisories and the latest information from officials monitoring the pitch.