League One: Barnsley v Oldham postponed due to frozen pitch

Monday evening's Sky Bet League One fixture between Barnsley and Oldham has been postponed.

The match was called off on the morning of the game due to a frozen pitch at Oakwell.

A statement from Barnsley reads: “Tonight’s match against Oldham Athletic has been postponed due to concerns over player safety.

“A local referee made the decision this morning after inspecting the playing surface at Oakwell – when it was deemed it would be unplayable for tonight’s game.”

And Barnsley chief executive Ben Mansford added: “It is unfortunate but the referee has a decision to make with concerns of player safety.

“Our undersoil heating has been running since Boxing Day but with sub-zero temperatures expected by kick-off tonight, the pitch will certainly be unplayable.

“Our staff and Barnsley Council have worked tirelessly over the weekend to give the game a best possible chance of going ahead but we can’t control the weather.

“The issue is not the snowfall but the very low temperatures which means the snow has frozen and turned into ice, which will not thaw in these temperatures.

“Although Barnsley Council have gritted the roads and car park, the lack of traffic on the local roads means that the salt and grit have not been able to take effect.”

A new date has yet to be decided.