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HULL CITY: Tigers play waiting game with QPR clash
The KC Stadium is under a blanket of snow.
HULL City could wait until Saturday before deciding if their home game with QPR goes ahead, but all the signs are pointing towards a cancellation.
With more snow showers scheduled to hit Hull today and tomorrow, and temperatures remaining around freezing, the visit of the Championship leaders is now in doubt.
Although the undersoil heating is currently on at the KC Stadium, and will stay on right up until the game, stadium manager John Cooper admits the access roads and walkways around the ground are the main concern.
If they are not deemed safe for fans to use, which happened when last season's clash with Chelsea was cancelled, the game will not go ahead.
Cooper told the Mail: "We are continuing to appraise things all the time. The main concern is the roads surrounding the stadium.
"On Tuesday, I was very optimistic of the game going ahead but not so much yesterday.
"Hull City Council, who form part of the Safety Advisory Group with me, will also have their say if they feel there is a major risk.
"The Football League would like us to leave it until the last moment but we have to think about fans and their travel arrangements.
"Common sense has to prevail."
With Humberside Police advising people only to travel if necessary, it is unlikely they will want a crowd of around 20,000 people to converge on the stadium if conditions are still treacherous. Cooper, and officials from City, have spoken to their counterparts at QPR and all parties are aware a decision could be left until the last minute.
"We are in constant communication and we know what the team's travel arrangements are," Cooper explained.
"We can make our decision as late as they want us to leave it."
Last January, City's clash against Chelsea was postponed because of the dangers in getting to the ground.
And a repeat of those scenes could lead to a similar fate this time around.
"The snow before the Chelsea game was not as heavy as the snow we have seen in the last few days," added Cooper.
"The snow fell late on the evening before the game and on the morning of the game.
"The weather made it too dangerous to travel to the ground and the game was postponed.
"We also have to consider getting emergency vehicles in and out of the ground as well as fans' safety at the game.
"We have to be able to react to everything that can happen.
"Between now and Saturday, we will be taking as much information as we can from the Met Office and everybody else."
The KC Stadium is under a blanket of snow.
HULL City could wait until Saturday before deciding if their home game with QPR goes ahead, but all the signs are pointing towards a cancellation.
With more snow showers scheduled to hit Hull today and tomorrow, and temperatures remaining around freezing, the visit of the Championship leaders is now in doubt.
Although the undersoil heating is currently on at the KC Stadium, and will stay on right up until the game, stadium manager John Cooper admits the access roads and walkways around the ground are the main concern.
If they are not deemed safe for fans to use, which happened when last season's clash with Chelsea was cancelled, the game will not go ahead.
Cooper told the Mail: "We are continuing to appraise things all the time. The main concern is the roads surrounding the stadium.
"On Tuesday, I was very optimistic of the game going ahead but not so much yesterday.
"Hull City Council, who form part of the Safety Advisory Group with me, will also have their say if they feel there is a major risk.
"The Football League would like us to leave it until the last moment but we have to think about fans and their travel arrangements.
"Common sense has to prevail."
With Humberside Police advising people only to travel if necessary, it is unlikely they will want a crowd of around 20,000 people to converge on the stadium if conditions are still treacherous. Cooper, and officials from City, have spoken to their counterparts at QPR and all parties are aware a decision could be left until the last minute.
"We are in constant communication and we know what the team's travel arrangements are," Cooper explained.
"We can make our decision as late as they want us to leave it."
Last January, City's clash against Chelsea was postponed because of the dangers in getting to the ground.
And a repeat of those scenes could lead to a similar fate this time around.
"The snow before the Chelsea game was not as heavy as the snow we have seen in the last few days," added Cooper.
"The snow fell late on the evening before the game and on the morning of the game.
"The weather made it too dangerous to travel to the ground and the game was postponed.
"We also have to consider getting emergency vehicles in and out of the ground as well as fans' safety at the game.
"We have to be able to react to everything that can happen.
"Between now and Saturday, we will be taking as much information as we can from the Met Office and everybody else."
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