Storm Babet has wreaked havoc all over the country in the past few days. The people of Scotland and the north of England felt the worst brunt of it all. Three people have already died and hundreds of flood warnings are still being issued. After an international break, all football fans were hoping to get back to their regular weekend routine with club matches back on the clock. However, due to the dangerous storm, several matches in the Championship, League Two, Scottish Premiership, and more have been cancelled.
Storm Babet hit the country a few days ago and it’s leaving everything in shambles in its wake. Hundreds of flood warnings along with red weather alerts have been issued for the third consecutive day across the UK. People have died, the River Don of Rotherham burst its banks, several trains were cancelled, and many people have no way to get from one city to another in this situation. These have become a hindrance to continuing this weekend’s matches across Scotland and England.
This was the first week of matches back after the international break. However, several games throughout many competitions in Scotland and England have been cancelled due to the storm. The Championship match between Rotherham United and Ipswich Town was cancelled only three hours before it was set to start. Many fans had already reached the city including a fan who spent £80 on a cab to see the match. All fans who travelled had to head back as the authorities said the bursting of River Don resulted in cancellation of the match.
No Premier League matches will be cancelled, but due to the blocked transportation, the matches will be played in front of fewer crowds. The few matches that have been cancelled due to Storm Babet are –
- Mansfield Town vs Forest Green Rovers – League Two
- Altrincham vs Dorking Wanderers – National League
- Chesterfield vs Gateshead – National League
- St. Johnstone vs. Motherwell – Scottish Premier League
- Aberdeen vs Dundee United – Scottish Premier League
- Ross County vs St. Mirren – Scottish Premier League
- Arbroath vs Raith Rovers – Scottish Championship
- Greenock Morton vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Scottish Championship
Even though Premier League games are being played, fans are facing issues reaching stadiums in other cities. As a result, many matches this week will see a major drop in away fans’ numbers in stadiums. London North Eastern Railway advised against traveling due to the extreme weather and flooding. Adding to that, train lines between Leeds, Nottingham, Doncaster, and Sheffield have stopped running mainly due to flooding in the area. Services North of Edinburgh have also been stopped by London North Eastern Railway.
Some fans are still using public transport on roads to see their teams play. Even though Southampton were relegated after last season ended, fans are still trying to reach Hull for their team’s match in the weekend. One Southampton fan with the intention of traveling, went out to get into the worst scenario. Talking to the reporters he said the situation at the Kings Cross stadium was a “chaos” and “mayhem”. Several trains were cancelled at the last minute and transportation buses are not available instead.
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