Wigan call off Villa showdown

The snowfall across the nation has taken its fair share of casualties on the Saturday fixture list, with Wigan's game with Villa also falling victim to the conditions. The club has blamed "freak weather conditions" for the cancellation, the second of the weekend's Premier League programme, after Liverpool were also forced to call off their game with Fulham. No date has yet been given for the rearranged fixture. "The decision was made on the advice of Superintendent Stuart Ellison of Greater Manchester Police, on safety grounds," read a statement on the club's official site. "Despite the club's best efforts to keep today's game on by bringing in snow ploughs and gritters, the ten inches of snow that fell overnight has made the surrounding area extremely hazardous for supporters travelling to the game. "Public transport isn't running, there are motorway closures and the general condition of the surrounding routes is treacherous. "The DW playing surface, ironically, is fine with the undersoil heating doing its job. The club wants to apologise for the inconvenience this causes."