Mick McCarthy made to wait for first match as Blackpool boss due to frozen pitch

Mick McCarthy was made to wait for his first match as Blackpool manager after Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship home clash with Huddersfield was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

The contest at Bloomfield Road had been set to open McCarthy’s tenure after he was placed in charge of the Seasiders for the remainder of the season on Thursday, succeeding the sacked Michael Appleton.

But a statement from Blackpool at 10.45am on Saturday said: “This afternoon’s game against Huddersfield Town has been postponed due to a frozen pitch.

“Despite the best efforts of the club’s groundstaff with covers and lighting rigs, areas of the playing surface have been deemed too hard to play on.”

Other fixtures from Saturday’s football schedule falling foul to freezing conditions included Lincoln v Burton in League One.

In League Two, there were announcements that Newport’s home game against AFC Wimbledon, Northampton’s match against Mansfield and Walsall’s clash against Swindon had been postponed.

On Friday, Bristol Rovers hosting Wycombe and Port Vale’s trip to Morecambe had fallen in League One because of icy pitches, and Doncaster’s League Two game against Tranmere at the Eco-Power Stadium was also postponed on safety grounds.

The Vanarama National League has suffered on account of the bad weather as well with games at Eastleigh, Halifax, Gateshead, Maidenhead, Oldham, Solihull and Woking unable to go ahead.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s race meeting at Haydock was called off due to a frozen track.