The folly of a full league programme on an evening at the end of December comes home to roost.
17 of the scheduled 45 games are called off due to snow and frost.
Chelsea beat the elements, and Manchester City, to establish an 11-point Premiership lead.- The folly of a full league programme on an evening at the end of December comes home to roost.
17 of the scheduled 45 games are called off due to snow and frost. Three Premiership games are hit including at Newcastle United where the game with Charlton Athletic is postponed less than half-an-hour before kick-off due to safety reasons. Preston North End at Plymouth, Scunthorpe United at Colchester and Torquay United at Stockport are others who endure long, hazardous wasted trips.
- Chelsea beat the elements, and Manchester City, to establish an 11-point Premiership lead. Joe Cole hits the late winner at the City of Manchester Stadium while Manchester United are held 2-2 at Birmingham City. Liverpool concede their first Premiership goal in 12 hours and 42 minutes of play but comfortably win complete their ninth consecutive league win to take the Mersey derby at Everton by a 3-1 margin. Everton finish the game with only nine ment as Phil Neville and Mikel Arteta are sent-off. Arsenal put the skids under Portsmouth with all four goals coming in the first-half at Highbury.
- Reading and Sheffield United maintain their Championship stranglehold. The Royals beat Leicester City 2-0 while the Blades win 1-0 at Southampton. Leeds United are third following a 1-0 win at Stoke City. With Darren Anderton’s opener at Sheffield Wednesday, Wolverhampton Wanderers become the first club to score 7,000 goals in the Football League. Wolves win 2-0. Wednesday have now failed to score in their last seven games.
- Huddersfield Town fail to take advantage of Brentford and Swansea City’s inactivity in League One as Port Vale win 3-0 at the Galpharm Stadium. Southend United take close order in fourth with a 2-1 win at Hartlepool United. Bristol City’s revival continues with a 3-1 win over Rotherham United with the Millers dropping into the bottom four.
- Only four games survive in League Two with Grimsby Town making the most of the opportunity to go back to the top with a 3-0 win against Lincoln City at Blundell Park.