London — The Premier League match between Burnley and Tottenham was called off a little under an hour before kick-off on Sunday because of heavy snow at Turf Moor.
Attempts to clear the pitch proved in vain as the undersoil heating struggled to cope and snow fell as quickly as it could be removed.
The announcement was made shortly after both sides had named their teams for the match in the northwest of England.
“Due to concerns with the playing surface and surrounding areas, it’s been deemed that the game can’t go ahead safely,” said a tweet on Burnley’s official account.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche told the BBC the snow was falling so thickly that it was re-covering the pitch every time it was cleared.
“The referee explained the safety angle as well so it was important to make a decision early,” he said.
“It fell that quick and that heavy. It’s still quite strong now. (The pitch) can’t get rid of the snow that quick.”
Antonio Conte’s Spurs are seventh in the table while Burnley were seeking to move out of the relegation zone after being unbeaten in their past four matches.
AFP