Bad weather hits weekend sports fixtures

Snow and freezing conditions have hit this weekend's sporting schedule with football and racing fixtures postponed.

Football League matches at Accrington, Barnet, Bristol Rovers, Bury, Crawley, Crewe, Hartlepool, Oxford, Port Vale, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Southend, Torquay and Yeovil are all postponed.

Big race meetings at Ascot and Haydock on Saturday have also been called off.

Snow was forecast for large parts of the UK on Friday with the Met Office issuing several weather warnings.

The snow is expected to be heaviest in south east Wales, with most of England, Wales, and southern and eastern Scotland affected in some way.

In the Premier League, barring a "severe deterioration in the weather conditions," the Midlands derby between West Brom and Aston Villa will go ahead at 1730 GMT. Wigan's match against Sunderland has also been given the all clear.

In the Championship, the matches at Millwall, Ipswich, Peterborough and Watford have all passed morning inspections.

In League One, the matches at Doncaster, Notts County, Walsall, Swindon also passed early morning pitch inspections, while at Brentford referee Darren Deadman is happy for the game to proceed but the club is asking for volunteers to help clear the snow.

In League Two, Northampton's match against Burton and York City's match against Aldershot have also passed morning inspections.

The Blue Square Bet Premier match at Braintree on Friday was off and Saturday's games at Ebbsfleet, Hereford, Hyde, Lincoln and Nuneaton have been postponed.

In the Scottish Football League matches at Ayr, Cowdenbeath, Brechin, Stranraer, Stirling Albion and Berwick have all been called off.

Saturday's race meetings at Ascot, Haydock, Taunton and Lingfield and Sunday's card at Towcester are also off. The only fixture to beat the snow was the meeting on the all-weather track at Kempton

Meanwhile, Leicester on Tuesday is off, and planned fixtures at Wetherby and Catterick during the middle of next week are amongst those already in doubt.

FULL LIST OF POSTPONEMENTS

Football

League One

Bury v Stevenage

Crawley Town v Carlisle

Crewe v MK Dons

Hartlepool v Colchester United

Scunthorpe v Portsmouth

Yeovil v Preston

League Two

Accrington Stanley v AFC Wimbledon

Barnet v Fleetwood

Bristol Rovers v Exeter City

Oxford v Rotherham

Port Vale v Bradford City

Rochdale v Gillingham

Southend v Plymouth

Torquay v Chesterfield

Scottish First Division

Cowdenbeath v Dunfermline Athletic

Scottish Second Division

Ayr United v Stenhousemui

Brechin City v Albion Rovers

Stranraer v Arbroath

Scottish Third Division

Berwick Rangers v Elgin City

Stirling Albion v Annan

Blue Square Bet Premier

Ebbsfleet v Tamworth

Hereford v Dartford

Hyde v Cambridge United

Lincoln v Wrexham

Nuneaton v Luton

Horse Racing

Lingfield (Saturday)

Ascot (Saturday)

Haydock (Saturday)

Taunton (Saturday)

Towcester (Sunday)

Leicester (Tuesday)