Storm Éowyn is certainly making its mark across Scotland, with the country battening down the hatches as gales of more than 100mph batter some areas.
And it’s already having an impact on Scottish football; Rangers fans have been forced to travel up from their Europa League clash with Manchester United straight after the game – or stay until the weekend, with train services cancelled across the country leaving thousands stranded. Philippe Clement‘s stars meanwhile made a hasty retreat after the Old Trafford match, flying straight back to Glasgow before the worst of the weather came in.
The storm, and red warning, are due to clear before any matches kick off in the SPFL this weekend – but Éowyn’s impact could continue to be felt, especially with games set to kick off less than 24 hours after the worst of the weather has battered grounds, and vital infrastructure, right across the nation.
Will SPFL matches go ahead after Storm Éowyn?
Currently no matches in the SPFL have been postponed, and with the worst of the weather set to begin clearing by 6pm it’s unlikely that high winds will have an impact on matches. But the issues could lie elsewhere, particularly if any stadiums are damaged by the gales. Also, heavy rain is falling is some areas so pitches may be waterlogged. Stay tuned.
What impact has Storm Éowyn had on SPFL clubs already?
In a throwback to the pandemic pre-match press conferences are back being held over Zoom, with all but completely essential travel advised against. Many teams will also have cancelled any sessions planned for today in advance of the weekend games – with the strong winds making it both unsafe and completely pointless.
Which SPFL clubs will be worst impacted by Storm Éowyn?
The worst of the weather is across the central belt, which is covered by a Met Office red weather warning – and with gusts of around 100mph set to batter the region. If stadiums survive the wind then the next issue could be waterlogged pitches, with torrential rain set to fall for much of the evening, and there’s also the issue of power cuts. Already more than 10,000 central belt homes are without power, but engineers won’t be able to start repair work until the conditions improve.
Gusts of 87mph are anticipated to batter Ayr, where Ayr United are due to take on Partick Thistle on Saturday, January 25. Things aren’t a lot better in Glasgow, with 85mph gales due to batter the city on the eve of Celtic’s home match with Dundee. Things are a bit less breezy in the east, but grounds including Tynecastle can still expect to be hit with 79mph winds.
What impact will Storm Éowyn have on football supporters?
We likely won’t know the full impact of Éowyn until it’s passed through the country; but motorists can expect disruption on the roads with debris blown onto routes and trees down. The same goes for rail passengers; no services are running today – but trees have already blown on to overhead wires in Ayrshire, potentially knocking out services there until it’s safe to carry out repairs. Further disruption looks likely – meaning it could be a nightmare for fans making their way across the country.