Why weekend Manchester derby could be postponed

By Boluwatife Ezekiel Olaleye

This weekend’s Manchester Derby could be at risk, after the Met Office issued a weather warning.

The Met Office has warned that up to eight inches of snow may fall in the hours before Manchester City’s trip to rivals Manchester United.

They have also upgraded their warning from ‘yellow’ to ‘amber’, as snow is set to fall between 4am and 6pm across Greater Manchester.

The weather will spread to Liverpool, which means there could also be a risk to the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton.

The Old Trafford pitch does have undersoil heating, which means the on-field action is unlikely to be impacted by the weather. But if the stands or areas around the ground are considered to be unsafe due to ice, it could be decided to call the game off.

“Make sure you take close note of local emergency services,” a Met Office spokesperson said.

“If you do have to travel, make extra time for journeys. It could cause disruption to transport services.

“Take extra care as there is the chance of ice being around as well.”