Ex-PGMOL chief explains Man United vs Bournemouth postponement after Met Office issue weather warning

Officials will be keeping a close eye on the conditions ahead of Sunday's clashes between Manchester United and Bournemouth and Liverpool and Brighton.

That is according to former head of PGMOL and FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

Both games are at risk of postponement with Storm Boelo set to land in Scotland, Northern Ireland and much of northern England on Saturday, through to Sunday.

The Met Office have advised that strong winds could see flying debris and damage to infrastructure, potentially causing significant delays to those hoping to travel to the games.

Should the game go ahead, the visit of Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday could well see the end of Michael Carrick's tenure in charge.

The Englishman is under significant pressure, with decision-makers in the process of assessing potential replacements.

Postponement protocol revealed by former referee

Fans are advised to keep a close eye on communications by the Premier League and the clubs ahead of the weekend's games.

Should a pitch inspection be necessary on the weekend, the match referee or another more local referee will be called in to make a decision, Hackett revealed.

"The elite level will liaise with the police and the media so that if the game is unable to go ahead spectators will be informed," he explained to Football Insider.

"The club will not want food waste and will have to advise all catering staff and security staff etc. A lot of people are involved. The police will be aware of all the travel arrangements of teams and spectators.

"This is where the referee earns his money. He will be in the city over night with club officials. Everyone will want to avoid a late call off with spectators in the vicinity of the ground."

Precedent has been set in Liverpool

While both Liverpool and Man United will hope that the wind expected does not ultimately place their games in doubt, there has been a precedent before.

In 2024, the Merseyside derby was postponed due to extremely high winds caused by Storm Darragh.

For now, the Met Office's warning remains yellow but with much of Scotland now upgraded to amber, supporters should keep a close eye on the latest.

Officials will hope to confirm any decision as soon as possible, with both games set to take place at 2pm GMT on Sunday.