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The snow threatened to postpone the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield this afternoon (4.30pm).
The country experienced heavy snowfall the night before and there were fears over whether the Northwest Derby would go ahead. The Met Office placed Liverpool and Manchester under an amber weather warning while Transport for Greater Manchester issued a warning against all ‘unnecessary travel’ for Sunday.
A statement read: “Snow and ice is likely to cause travel disruption do not travel unless absolutely necessary If you do need to travel please allow plenty of time and plan ahead. Cold and icy conditions are set to continue across the region over the coming days, with potential disruption to transport and infrastructure. Snow is also forecast to fall throughout Saturday evening across Greater Manchester and the North West.”
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The concerns led to major delays at Manchester Airport where flights were cancelled and the runway was closed for some time early Sunday morning. In a statement issued at 7.20am, Manchester Airport said: “Our runways remain closed as we continue to clear the airfield after continued heavy slow in the last hour. We prioritise the health and safety of our passengers and operations will resume as soon as possible.”
Liverpool City Council’s Safety Advisory Group then held an initial meeting at 9am and a decision over whether the game would go ahead, was later deferred to 12pm. The disruption continued with two League Two matches postponed: Chesterfield vs Gillingham and Fleetwood Town vs AFC Wimbledon.
Elsewhere, Chepstow racecourse followed a pitch inspection with the green light for races to go ahead, while the racing at Plumpton Racecourse in Lewes was cancelled due to ‘worsening weather conditions.’
The decision around the derby, particularly given its significance, had the potential to be more complex due to the plans in place and the interest in the fixture. Plus, broadcasters around the world are scheduled to show the game.
Despite the heavy snowfall overnight, the match was ‘given approval by the city’s Ground Safety Advisory Group,’ a statement by the Liverpool City Council noted.
Asked about how a decision was reached, Liverpool City Council told the Manchester Evening News: “The Ground Safety Advisory Group looked at traffic conditions and weather forecast and deemed it to be safe. All LFC staff also arrived at the stadium to ensure a match could be held.”
A statement from United added: “Following a second safety meeting, it has been decided that today’s match between Manchester United and Liverpool will go ahead. There have been snowfall and weather warnings across the North West on Sunday but it has been deemed safe for fans to attend the 4.30pm kick-off. Take care if you are travelling to Merseyside today, Reds.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool stated: “Today’s fixture against Manchester United will go ahead as planned. Two safety meetings were held earlier to assess the weather and travel conditions. We thank everyone involved in helping us to get this game on today. If you’re travelling to Anfield then please take extra care. We look forward to seeing you there.”