FOLLOWING a risk assessment carried out this morning, the decision has been taken to postpone Saturday's (9 January) Championship fixture between Watford and Sheffield United at Vicarage Road.
Due to continuing adverse weather conditions, with snow and ice having hit Hertfordshire in the past few days and with no significant improvement forecast before the weekend, it will not be possible to clear the significant amount of snow and ice from within the stadium and immediate areas.
Unfortunately, the local authority is not in a position to assist with gritting of the roads and paths in the immediate vicinity of the stadium.
With the risk of further snow falls and ice resulting from continued sub-zero temperatures, delegates from the Football Club and County Council licensing authority carried out an inspection this morning (Thursday), following which the decision to call the game off was reluctantly taken.
In conjunction with a specialist member of the County Council's Safety Advisory Group - which licenses our stadium to be open to the public - the club officers were unanimous in the view that the event had to be postponed.
Speaking on behalf of Watford Football Club, Head of Operations Glyn Evans said: "We have a social responsibility to make the decision earlier rather than later and we are mindful of the advice currently being given by the authorities that people should only travel when absolutely necessary.
"Because we are accountable and responsible for the safety of all people coming to our stadium, the responsibility for this decision solely rests with the Football Club's safety and operational team.
"We'd made great efforts to make sure the pitch was in good condition for the game and it would have been, but with freezing temperatures forecast for this area overnight and Friday, and specifically a forecast of minus 6 degrees tonight, given all of those circumstances this was a clear-cut decision to have to make concerning the safety of our supporters.
"Furthermore, it was by no means clear we could make sure we had the required number of staff on site, including those of the medical profession, to meet our legal requirements to open the stadium given that they too would have to travel to the venue.
"Clearly we're as upset as any of our fans would be as the manager and the team were very much looking forward to the fixture, but as a club we will never compromise safety under any circumstances."
We apologise for any inconvenience caused. The club will announce shortly a date for the re-scheduled fixture.
Tickets already purchased will still be valid, however if supporters are unable to attend the re-arranged fixture they can claim a refund by contacting the Ticket Office on 0844 856 1881 at least 24 hours before the new date. Sheffield United supporters will need to contact their own club to arrange a refund should they be unable to attend.
Season ticket holders will be able to enter the stadium for the re-arranged fixture as usual using their access cards.
