Postponements caused by Storm Babet: Ipswich vs. Rotherham championship game was called off because of floods.

In order to protect the safety of the fans, Friday’s Championship game between Rotherham and Ipswich was postponed. Two Scottish Premiership games were also canceled owing to Storm Babet. The game was originally scheduled to air on Sky Sports.

The New York Stadium in Rotherham has a playable field, but the game—which was supposed to air live on Sky Sports—has been postponed for the safety of the fans due to the River Don overflowing its banks. On Friday night, there will be more intense rain predicted.

“After talks with representatives from the Safety Advisory Group and the EFL shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Rotherham United’s Sky Bet Championship match against Ipswich Town has been postponed on the grounds of supporter safety,” according to a statement from the team.

“The Safety Advisory Group/Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, club safety personnel, and the EFL convened urgently after the River Don, which runs around the perimeter of AESSEAL New York Stadium, burst its banks. The meeting’s conclusion was that the weather and its impact on the surrounding area constituted a risk to spectators.

“The authorities were forced to postpone the game due to the combination of this and the ongoing rainfall that caused the flood waters to rise and Don Street to be blocked to the public.”

“Although the field at AESSEAL New York Stadium has stayed playable throughout the day, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the game in order to ensure everyone’s safety.”

“We informed the EFL and our Ipswich Town counterparts about the decision, and everyone involved agreed that delaying the game was the best course of action to guarantee the security of the players, staff, and fans.

“It goes without saying that we are obviously disappointed for supporters due to attend and those set to watch at home given the game was being broadcast live on Sky Sports.”
“Town’s Sky Bet Championship match away to Rotherham United, scheduled for 8pm this evening, has been postponed for safety reasons,” stated a statement from Ipswich Town.

“AESSEAL New York Stadium’s field is suitable for play, but the surrounding regions are dangerous and there is a chance of more intense rain this evening.

“An urgent meeting with the Safety Advisory Group today at 4:30 p.m. resulted in the decision.

“Further details, regarding refunds and a new date for the fixture, will be released in due course.”

Storm Babet has forced the postponement of six SPFL matches that were scheduled for this Saturday.

The action is the result of discussions between Police Scotland, league executives, and clubs after the Met Office extended its red weather warning into Saturday night for Tayside, Angus, and Aberdeenshire.

In the Scottish Premiership, the matches between Motherwell and St Johnstone in Perth and1 Aberdeen in Pittodrie are postponed.

The Championship match between Arbroath and Raith Rovers and the League One match between Cove Rangers and Montrose have been postponed.

League Two matches against Peterhead at Stenhousemuir and the trip to Elgin City by Forfar Athletic are both postponed.

The SPFL will keep an eye on everything related to the remaining fixtures; new dates for the games that have been postponed will be announced soon.

“We have been in close contact with Police Scotland and our clubs and it’s clear that we continue to face very severe weather, particularly in the North East, in the coming days,” stated SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie.

“We never postpone any matches lightly, but our discussions with the emergency services left us in no doubt that this was the correct decision.”

The storm has claimed two lives, and the Met Office has extended its warning of a “danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater” in some areas of Scotland until midnight on Saturday.

It presently includes Tayside, Fife, Grampian and Central areas. Dundee, Perth, Kinross, Angus, and Aberdeenshire—where 20-foot waves have been observed along the coast—had previously been included.

Five severe flood warnings, eleven flood alerts, and sixteen flood warnings have been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) due to the possibility of “unprecedented” volumes of rainfall in Scotland’s northeast.

It has issued a warning that rivers may rise as much as five meters during what is being called a “extraordinary” weather event.

“There is exceptional rainfall forecast for parts of Scotland over the next 24 hours, and this will lead to significant flooding from both surface water and rivers,” stated Pascal Lardet, SEPA’s flood duty manager.