The Merseyside derby, scheduled to kick off at Goodison Park at 12.30pm on Saturday, has been postponed due to Storm Dollar.
Winds of up to 110mph and severe weather conditions are causing disruption and threatening safety to travel in and around Merseyside. The decision to postpone the match between Everton and Liverpool was taken at 8.30am on Saturday.
A statement released by both clubs said: “Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park this morning attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council, in view of the risks, a Safety Advisory Group meeting has been postponed. To ensure the safety of the local area due to strong winds, today's match should be postponed for safety reasons as an Amber High Wind Warning is in place until 6am on Sunday.
Everton said in a statement: “We apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank our supporters for their understanding. We understand this is a huge disappointment for our supporters, but the safety of our fans, staff and players is paramount. Information regarding the rescheduled match dates will be announced soon. All tickets purchased for the original match will remain valid for the rearranged match.
Liverpool also said they had no choice but to postpone the 245th derby and the last league derby due to be played at Goodison Park. “We understand this is a huge disappointment for our supporters, but the safety of our fans, staff and players is of paramount importance,” the club said in a statement.
Everton have donated food for today's derby to local charities. some were given Fans supporting food bankswould have collected donations outside Goodison before the match. The remainder will be donated to Everton in the Community and will be used across the program in the coming days.
In League One, matches between Bristol Rovers and Bolton and Crawley and Stevenage have also been called off, with the possibility of further postponements. Saturday's Championship matches between Cardiff and Watford and Plymouth and Oxford were called off on Friday, with League Two side Newport following the Welsh Football Association canceling all matches in their jurisdiction amid a red weather warning. The match against Carlisle was subsequently canceled as well. MK Dons' trip to Barrow was also marred by poor weather.
Saturday afternoon's race meetings at Aintree and Chepstow were canceled due to strong winds, but the Sandown race meeting continued after inspections in the morning. Bristol Bears' women's match against Exeter Chiefs at Ashton Gate has also been postponed as a result of pitch inspections.
