Bournemouth have lost a second game in five days to winter storms following the postponement of their Championship trip to Swansea City on Tuesday evening.
The Cherries, whose home clash with Nottingham Forest on Friday night was called off as result of damage at the Vitality Stadium, have been thwarted once again because of a similar issue in south Wales.
A statement on Swans’ official website said: “Swansea City can confirm that Tuesday’s Championship fixture against AFC Bournemouth has been postponed for safety reasons, following damage to the Swansea.com Stadium caused by Storm Eunice and the ongoing adverse weather conditions.
“The decision was taken this morning following an inspection by the Licensing Authority and club management, and was reached after it was concluded that given the current weather conditions, it would be impossible to undertake a full assessment of the damage and undertake the necessary repairs in advance of tomorrow’s fixture.”
Swansea officials maintained a dialogue with their counterparts on the south coast over the weekend.
Reacting to the decision Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said in a statement on the club’s official website: “While it is disappointing that another one of our fixtures has had to be postponed following the effects of Storm Eunice, we completely understand Swansea’s decision and I would like to thank them for prioritising the safety of players, supporters and staff.
“Like us, Swansea have suffered too much damage to their stadium to make it safe for supporters in a short space of time – five days, as opposed to the 24 hours it has been suggested we could have made our stadium safe within.
“Swansea have come to a sensible decision and we have given them our full support so as to allow an early announcement on the postponement.”
The game was the second to go on Monday following Fleetwood’s League One clash with Sheffield Wednesday, which was also scheduled for Tuesday evening.
The Lancashire club confirmed that high winds had caused structural damage to the Parkside Stand at their Highbury Stadium home, meaning the fixture could not go ahead.
A statement on the club’s official website said: “Fleetwood Town can confirm Tuesday’s Sky Bet League One fixture against Sheffield Wednesday has been called off following storm damage to the stadium overnight.
“The game has had to be postponed due to safety concerns after the high winds over the last 48 hours have caused structural damage to the Parkside Stand.”
The Football League lost several matches over the weekend with Blackburn’s Championship clash with Millwall the highest-profile casualty as a series of fixtures in Leagues One and Two also fell victim to the wintry blast.
