Snow threatens Blackpool's Boxing Day game

Blackpool Their Boxing Day fixture against Liverpool is in jeopardy from the weather, Blackpool admit.

And the realisation is sparking rumblings of discontent at the Premier League.

The Seasiders have already had two games postponed at Bloomfield Road, the only ground in the top flight without undersoil heating, and their pitch is still frozen.

Chairman Karl Oyston says they will protect the surface with covers ahead of Sunday's game but the idea that a fixture may have been in any doubt six days before it was to be played was greeted with incredulity at the Premier League yesterday.

It could even force a rule change, so that newly-promoted teams must have undersoil heating before they can enter the competition.

Blackpool struggled to get their stadium equipped for top-flight football last summer after their surprise promotion and flipped a home game against Wigan to play away on the opening day of the season as building work was completed.