Bad weather nothing new

[Old Master]

The "Arctic conditions" hitting the UK and Europe and threatening the cancellation of many matches are nothing new, as the following report reveals.

The winter of 1962-63 was extremely harsh, and Blackpool suffered more than most as their pitch completely froze over to the point where they couldn't play a single home game between December 15 and March 2.

Some players even took to ice skating on the pitch, as revealed by the following gem, dug out of the West Lancashire Evening Gazette's archives by Seasiders historian Gerry
Wolstenholme:

"At Bloomfield Road Jimmy Armfield and Tony Waiters ice skated on the pitch on January 8 1963 and two days later they were joined by Barrie Martin, 'Mandy' Hill and two other players.
On January 29 1963 Blackpool used a disc harrow to try to get the game against
West Ham United played on February 2 1963 but that too proved ineffective and on January 30 1963 the players swept a heavy fall of snow from the pitch in a vain hope that it would be
clear underneath, but the ice - one to four inches thick - was 'as formidable as ever'."

[Stitch This]

.......and on January 30 1963 the players swept a heavy fall of snow from the pitch in a vain hope that it would be clear underneath........

Imagine that happening today.