[Archived] Villa Semi Final Match Preview

[Guest Kamy100]

Even Oxford Roa in Manchester has not been gritted and it has caused total and utter chaos.

[Hughesy]

Set off from Oakdale at 7.30 - arrived at Samlesbury about 10 mins ago. No roads in Blackburn gritted - not even main ones. Bolton Road not touched by grit. A lady at work used to be a councillor and Blackburn With Darwen Council has run out of grit - not sure if they will get any today. Am booking a room at Stanley House just in case I'm stranded here!

That's rubbish council has grit and have gritted. Problem with salt us that if the snow is dumping down then it just covers it.

Too much snow, not enough traffic = waste of time for the salt

Took me 55 mins to get 5 miles in Bolton and still snowing heavy.

No doubts the game will be off if it's the same at Ewood

[unsall]

Logistics of time factor to reorganise catering, staffing, police tv schedules etc and Weather forcast for this week shows no sign of improvement.

Yeah good point

[Majiball]

But the damn forecasts said it would stop snowing at about 6 am. So much for meteorologists.

It probably did in Exeter.

Get out your Mountain Bikes lads, took me 25 minutes to get in today (normally 20). Have had great entartainment watching drivers at the lights in first pulling away.

[MarkBRFC71]

That's rubbish council has grit and have gritted. Problem with salt us that if the snow is dumping down then it just covers it.

Too much snow, not enough traffic = waste of time for the salt

Took me 55 mins to get 5 miles in Bolton and still snowing heavy.

No doubts the game will be off if it's the same at Ewood

Trust me, it's not rubbish. Most councils in the NW have run out apparently. She was a serving councillor up to a couple of years ago, and I'm pretty sure her husband still is. BWD coucil has run out of grit - fact. They didn't grit last night at all - fact. Bolton Road has not been touched, and it's purely weight of traffic that's keeping it remotely clear if at all.

Where are you getting your info from that they *have* got grit?

[Tris]

That's rubbish council has grit and have gritted. Problem with salt us that if the snow is dumping down then it just covers it.

Where exactly have they gritted, o fount of all knowledge?

Nobody has seen any gritters out, and they haven't even managed to keep the A666 from Darwen to Ewood in a proper state - it's absolutely pathetic.

How do you think they cope in Switzerland when it snows? This isn't even 6 inches deep yet!

Fact is there's been a few years where we haven't really had any proper winter weather, so short cuts have been taken on the gamble that cold spells like this didn't come back to East Lancs - and now the whole lot of them (Lancs as well as BwD) are looking pretty stupid.

[Guest andrewpickup]

unless this game goes ahead it should be moved to this thurs at the latest, and the man city came should be suspended until further notice, otherwise we should boycott all competition. i had a fair pain getting from bburn to preston today but its a cup semi, lets just get a grip and go to the footie!

[Saltysellars]

Trust me, it's not rubbish. Most councils in the NW have run out apparently. She was a serving councillor up to a couple of years ago, and I'm pretty sure her husband still is. BWD coucil has run out of grit - fact. They didn't grit last night at all - fact. Bolton Road has not been touched, and it's purely weight of traffic that's keeping it remotely clear if at all.

Where are you getting your info from that they *have* got grit?

Calderdale council over here in deepest darkest West Yorkshire have run out of grit and as I live up a hill, the chances of me even attempting to get the car out over here are remote

[Hasta]

unless this game goes ahead it should be moved to this thurs at the latest, and the man city came should be suspended until further notice, otherwise we should boycott all competition. i had a fair pain getting from bburn to preston today but its a cup semi, lets just get a grip and go to the footie!

You wouldnt be saying that if you were one of the 5,300 Villa fans coming up or the many, many Rovers fans that live a fair distance away. Parts of the country are closed and unpassable..

[broadsword]

looks quite bleak in Manchester:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/webcams/manchester_skyline_webcam.shtml

(couldn't find a Blackburn cam).

Ah no, here you go, Blackburn College:

http://www.blackburn.ac.uk/webcam2.html

[McAds]

There's no snow down here at the moment. A bit nippy, but no real frost.

I hope the game goes ahead. Weather is expected to clear in the NW at 3pm.

[Guest andrewpickup]

You wouldnt be saying that if you were one of the 5,300 Villa fans coming up or the many, many Rovers fans that live a fair distance away. Parts of the country are closed and unpassable..

i agree 100% but we should not be s##t on re the fixtures as it will make or break our season

[Hasta]

There's no snow down here at the moment. A bit nippy, but no real frost.

I hope the game goes ahead. Weather is expected to clear in the NW at 3pm.

Its not the snow McAds. Its the footpaths. They were icy and dangerous last night and we were concerned about the game being off. This snow just adds travel chaos as well.

[Jim J]

Just got to work in Manchester via the train, and its a lot worse here than in Blackburn, about 6 inches of snow, and apparently its heading towards Birmingham

[Bobby G]

Where do you live McAds?

Unless there is some sun to melt things away and soon, how could it clear!

[Plastic Head]

I still see no reason why the game can't go on.

God we are so soft in this country, I'm off to Speke now and it's much worse there than here.

If someone calls it off we should bowl at stumps.

[andyrover]

Trust me, it's not rubbish. Most councils in the NW have run out apparently. She was a serving councillor up to a couple of years ago, and I'm pretty sure her husband still is. BWD coucil has run out of grit - fact. They didn't grit last night at all - fact. Bolton Road has not been touched, and it's purely weight of traffic that's keeping it remotely clear if at all.

Where are you getting your info from that they *have* got grit?

i seen 2 gritters out this morning about 3am 1 in darwen and 1 goin down bolton rd

[Hughesy]

Where exactly have they gritted, o fount of all knowledge?

Nobody has seen any gritters out, and they haven't even managed to keep the A666 from Darwen to Ewood in a proper state - it's absolutely pathetic.

How do you think they cope in Switzerland when it snows? This isn't even 6 inches deep yet!

Fact is there's been a few years where we haven't really had any proper winter weather, so short cuts have been taken on the gamble that cold spells like this didn't come back to East Lancs - and now the whole lot of them (Lancs as well as BwD) are looking pretty stupid.

Isnt 6 inch deep??? Its way more than that in Bolton

As for Gritters, I know of people who saw them last night near the cemetery (a666), golden cup (a666) & near lynwood (a666) - so unless they are driving around in empty trucks them im not sure what they are doing......

At bolton council - we have loads of grit, to our knowledge only Stockport & Bury have/ will soon run out. Other authorities have some & all have orders due soon too. All roads have been gritted here since 4pm yesterday afternoon and all night - throughout the night - now look at what the roads look like still, despite all the gritting!

Pictures on way to work:

[oakdaleblue]

Just took me 90 mins to get from Samlesbury to Ewood. Roads are chaos around Ewood and the snow is falling thicker and faster now than when I tried to get home from work.

Cars were struggling to get up Cravens Brow and cars are having to be pushed up the hill on to Oakdale.

Two gritters passed but they were not spreading anything on Bolton Road. Preston New Road and Buncer Lane were also dreadful with no grit having been put down. Looking bleak for tonight.

Off to bed for a few hours kip and pray for a heatwave this afternoon.

[S15]

Hughesey, the snow on your pictures would have to have trebled for it to be more than 6 inches deep.

[DanLad]

It's deep in Bolton.

I can't see me being able to get to the game, even if it's on.

And, no, I'm not being soft. It'd be dangerous to go out, unless you're happy with a broken neck.

Edit - Hughsey is right. We've 6 inches of snow, if not more.

[cn174]

My brother works in the BRIC next to Ewood, they've closed it and told everyone not to go in.

[Bobby G]

BRIC?

[cletus]

Does anybody think the game tonight will be postponed?

Not wanting to be be a scaremonger, but the roaqd conditions around Ewood are pretty p1sspoor at the moment.

[mattym]

blackburn rovers indoor centre