Alfreton v Walsall in FA Cup postponed minutes before kick-off as cold snap bites

The Scottish lower leagues, National League and horse racing were also affected

Alfreton Town’s match FA Cup second-round clash with Walsall was called off minutes before kick off (Getty Images)

Alfreton Town’s historic second-round FA Cup tie against Walsall has been postponed due to the weather, under 10 minutes before the game was due to kick off.

The fans were all gathered in the stadium, and the match was due to kick off at 12.30pm GMT, when the decision was made to postpone the match. It means both teams will be in Sunday’s third-round FA Cup draw.

Matt Sadler, Walsall manager, told the BBC: “As soon as I got here I thought ‘this game is going to be off’ I don’t know what anyone else thought.

“It was rock hard and I knew it was not getting any warmer, so I knew they were going to wait as long as they possibly can to see if we can get it played, but I don’t think it was ever going to be played, it just looked dangerous to me, so common sense has prevailed.

“The game was never going to be played as soon as the covers came off, the ground at the goalmouths was rock hard.”

Alfreton’s match will Walsall was postponed just minutes before kick off (Getty Images)

Livingston’s Scottish Premiership match with Ross County was postponed as freezing conditions hit the football calendar in Scotland.

The top-division clash was due to take place at 3pm on Saturday but was called off after an early pitch inspection, with the playing surface at Almondvale Stadium frozen.

The Scottish Premiership club posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Following the pitch inspection, today’s game with Ross County has fell to the weather and has been postponed.

“Details for the re-arranged game will be released in due course.”

The rest of the fixture list was also decimated with eight games across the Scottish Championship, League One and League Two all falling victim to the sub-zero temperatures and snow.

In England, all 11 FA Cup second-round ties survived, with Blackpool’s clash with Forest Green postponed on Friday for non-weather related reasons.

Two National League matches were frozen off, though, with Altrincham against Dorking and Southend’s clash with Wealdstone falling foul of the weather.

Saturday’s horse racing meeting at Newcastle was postponed on Friday, but races at Doncaster, Bangor, Newbury and Fairyhouse went ahead.

In Germany, Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga clash with Union Berlin was postponed due to heavy overnight snowfall.