Sheffield Wednesday have been handed an enforced winter break with their next three fixtures all being postponed. The Owls were due to travel to Tranmere Rovers on Boxing Day but that match fell by the wayside as a result of a frozen pitch at Prenton Park. The pitch inspection was taken at an early stage with no improvement in the freezing conditions expected over the next few days in order to prevent fans facing the disappointment of travelling down only for the game to be called off.
News broke on Thursday that officials at Hillsborough have been forced to postpone both of the Owls home games over the festive period due to problems with the piping within the ground. The Owls has been due to face Yeovil on the 28th December and Peterborough on News Years day. However, following consultation with the Safety Advisory Group, chaired by Sheffield City Council, the recommendation is that no spectators should be admitted to the stadium before repairs are carried out and so as a result the matches have been called off. The burst and frozen pipes are affecting toilets and refreshment areas around the ground and the problems are set to persist with the on-going freezing temperatures.
The Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fixtures traditionally attract strong crowds and so the postponements are likely to have an adverse effect on revenues. In terms of the team however the time off may come as a blessing in disguise as it will enable players like Neil Mellor and Jon Otsemobor to work on their fitness following returns from injury and more long-term injury victims Lewis Buxton and Giles Coke may well be fit by the time the rearranged fixtures come around.
In addition to this the Owls have already played two games more than most of their rivals at the top end of the table due to recent postponements in League One. Wednesday’s enforced break will give the rest a chance to make up these games in hand and by the next time the Owls are scheduled to play, at Huddersfield on January 3rd, they should have a clearer picture of where they stand. Owls-mad will be keeping an eye on the festive fixtures and providing a review of how Wednesday’s contenders are faring in their absence.