Business as usual for derby clash

Birmingham are confident Wednesday's Carling Cup clash with local rivals Aston Villa will go ahead despite another night of sub-zero temperatures.

The undersoil heating at St. Andrew's has been in operation to ensure the pitch will be playable and the first-team squad trained on it on Tuesday with no problems.

In addition, City staff have been ensuring the concourses and seating areas are free of snow and ice to avoid any concerns over them being a safety hazard.

A Birmingham City Football Club spokesman said: "We do not anticipate any issues with regards to the weather.

"The St. Andrew's underground heating system has ensured that the pitch is playable. The stadium's concourses and surrounding walkways will also be continually cleared throughout the day. We'd like to advise all supporters to wrap up warm and arrive for the game as early as possible."

Blues even have a JCB on standby to clear car parks at the ground if there are any additional snowfalls during the day.

In rugby, Newcastle Falcons have been forced to postpone Friday night's Aviva Premiership clash with Bath at Kingston Park but the weekend's other fixtures are currently expected to go ahead.

Despite that confidence Sale have appealed for supporters to help them clear the Edgeley Park playing surface and perimeter of snow ahead of their Friday night clash with Gloucester.

In the world of racing, tomorrow's meeting at Wincanton, Friday's fixture at Exeter and Saturday's card at Wetherby have all fallen by the wayside due to a combination of the snow and frost.

There will be a 9am inspection at Sandown tomorrow ahead of Friday's meeting while officials at Musselburgh have called a noon inspection for Friday to determine if Monday's card can go ahead.