Postponements of Premier League fixtures because of the weather have been rare in recent seasons.
If the weather does pose a risk, clubs are reminded of the procedures they must follow regarding contact with the match referees and the early inspection of pitches.
It is the match official, and not the home club, who is responsible for deciding whether a pitch is safe and suitable to play on.
Pre-match precautions
So what precautions does a referee take to try to ensure a match goes ahead?
There are two main considerations to make when a referee conducts a pitch inspection: player safety and the match as a spectacle.
A referee has to consider whether the playing conditions threaten the wellbeing of the players and whether they compromise the match as a spectacle for the fans.
Whenever there is the slightest indication of a match being adversely affected by the weather, clubs are advised to contact the match referee at least 48 hours before kick-off to warn of the potential for poor conditions.
In the Premier League, an inspection will take place early on a matchday to try to avoid wasted journeys for supporters.
The referee will firstly speak to the head of the ground staff, as they are the best-placed person to understand exactly how the pitch behaves under certain conditions and the likelihood of a pitch deteriorating or otherwise.
The referee will then conduct a pitch inspection, preferably in their match boots and with a match ball, and conduct as thorough an examination as possible on every area of the playing surface to try and ensure it is behaving as it should.
If there is any room for doubt, such as the playing surface being frozen, the referee will ask the ground staff if they can do anything to solve the problem.
What if the weather changes during the match?
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to accurately predict what the weather conditions or the temperature will be during a match. It might be necessary to abandon the game midway through.
If the weather changes adversely during a match to the point that the referee can no longer guarantee the safety of the players and/or is concerned about the match as a spectacle, he will discuss this with the Premier League Match Manager, who will liaise directly with the Premier League Match Centre.
This enables the team at the Match Centre to inform fans as quickly as possible via the Premier League's digital channels and announcements by major broadcasters.
Postponements for fan safety
The decision to postpone a match is sometimes out of a referee's hands completely.
Often it comes from the ground's Safety Officer, who may have concerns about guaranteeing the safety of supporters inside the ground, or from the Safety Advisory Group, who may deem the conditions around or near to the ground to be dangerous upon the advice of the police.
The Merseyside derby that was scheduled to be played between Everton and Liverpool on 7 December 2024 was postponed for this reason.
A statement published by Everton on their official website that day read:
"Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 06:00 on Sunday, today’s fixture should be postponed on safety grounds."
In every instance, the decision to postpone a match is never one that is taken lightly and it is only ever reached as a last resort.