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Why is there no 12:30pm Premier League kick-off today? Top-flight forced into drastic schedule change

There will be no 12:30pm Premier League kick-off today, with the top-flight forced into a schedule change. This means it is consecutive weekends in which there has been no early kick-off. The schedule for this weekend has been flipped upside downGetty However, unlike last week when it was down to the broadcasters, this is weather-related. There was a match scheduled for the 12:30pm slot, but unfortunately, Storm Darragh had other ideas. Why is there no 12:30pm Premier League game? Well, we were set to have the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park this weekend. It was live and exclusively on talkSPORT, but it was postponed on Saturday morning. This is because the UK, and particularly the north west, has been hit by Storm Darragh, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain to much of the country. All matches in Wales were cancelled on Friday, and the Merseyside derby soon followed. Of course, with it being such a late postponement, there has been no time to find a replacement fixture, meaning this week’s Premier League action won’t get going until 3pm. At 8:30am on Saturday morning, after a night of high winds and torrential rain, the decision was made for the 120th Mersesyside derby at Goodison to be postponed. Everton and Liverpool both agreed the match should be cancelledGetty In a statement, Everton said: “Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6am on Sunday, today’s fixture should be postponed on safety grounds. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding. Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance. “Information relating to a rearranged date for the fixture will be announced in due course. “All tickets purchased for the original fixture will remain valid for the rearranged fixture.” Arne Slot will have to wait a bit longer for his first Merseyside derbyGetty Premier League gameweek 15 fixtures Saturday, December 7 12:30: Everton vs Liverpool – POSTPONED 15:00: Aston Villa vs Southampton – live on talkSPORT 2 15:00: Brentford vs Newcastle 15:00: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City 17:30: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest Sunday, December 8 14:00: Fulham vs Arsenal 14:00: Ipswich vs Bournemouth 14:00: Leicester vs Brighton 16:30: Tottenham vs Chelsea Monday, December 9 20:00: West Ham vs Wolves – live on talkSPORT As it stands, every other Premier League match is set to go ahead. Manchester United‘s tie against Nottingham Forest at 5:30pm is the most at risk of being cancelled because it’s at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have released a statement confirming they expect the match to still go ahead, but they are monitoring the situation. They said: “Today’s Premier League fixture at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest is scheduled to go ahead as planned. “The club will continue to consult the relevant authorities throughout the day and will update supporters immediately if anything changes.”

StephenColbert

Dec 7, 2024 - 10:04

5016

Why is there no 12:30pm Premier League kick-off today? Top-flight forced into drastic schedule change

There will be no 12:30pm Premier League kick-off today, with the top-flight forced into a schedule change.

This means it is consecutive weekends in which there has been no early kick-off.

The schedule for this weekend has been flipped upside down

However, unlike last week when it was down to the broadcasters, this is weather-related.

There was a match scheduled for the 12:30pm slot, but unfortunately, Storm Darragh had other ideas.

Why is there no 12:30pm Premier League game?

Well, we were set to have the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park this weekend.

It was live and exclusively on talkSPORT, but it was postponed on Saturday morning.

This is because the UK, and particularly the north west, has been hit by Storm Darragh, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain to much of the country.

All matches in Wales were cancelled on Friday, and the Merseyside derby soon followed.

Of course, with it being such a late postponement, there has been no time to find a replacement fixture, meaning this week’s Premier League action won’t get going until 3pm.

At 8:30am on Saturday morning, after a night of high winds and torrential rain, the decision was made for the 120th Mersesyside derby at Goodison to be postponed.

Everton and Liverpool both agreed the match should be cancelled

In a statement, Everton said: “Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6am on Sunday, today’s fixture should be postponed on safety grounds.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding. Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance.

“Information relating to a rearranged date for the fixture will be announced in due course.

“All tickets purchased for the original fixture will remain valid for the rearranged fixture.”