The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions brought on by Storm Darragh in the UK.
The announcement was made at 8:30 a.m. GMT by local authorities after severe weather warnings were issued in the Merseyside region, with winds up to 70 mph and substantial rainfall deemed to pose a significant risk to safety for any supporters traveling to the match.
The Premier League has not yet confirmed a date as to when the fixture will be rearranged, stating that further information will be released in due course.
Both clubs have issued a joint statement about the postponement, which said: “Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside police and Liverpool city council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6 a.m. on Sunday, today’s fixture should be postponed on safety grounds.”
The fixture was set to be Everton’s final Premier League encounter at home against local rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park, before the Toffees depart their home of 132 years to enter their new 52,000-seater stadium at Bramley Moore Dock next season.
Liverpool, on the other hand, was hoping to return to winning ways after playing out a thrilling 3–3 draw away at Newcastle, which saw its lead at the summit of the Premier League cut to seven points after both Chelsea and Arsenal won their respective matches in midweek.
Last season’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park saw Everton claim its first home Premier League triumph against its local rivals for the first time in 14 years after defeating Liverpool 2–0 in April to dent the Reds' title challenge severely.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Everton vs. Liverpool Postponed As Merseyside Derby Called Off Due to Storm.
