Cup clash off as fog affects pitch, roads, airport

Heavy fog has forced the postponement of Liverpool’s Carling Cup quarter-final at home to Arsenal.

The match had been in doubt from early in the evening with Anfield shrouded in the thick mist but hopes were raised when referee Martin Atkinson undertook his first inspection at 6.15pm and said, if conditions had not deteriorated in 30 minutes, the game would go ahead.

However, on his return at 6.45pm conditions had worsened and Atkinson, concerned about visibility for both his officials and players, decided the situation was unlikely to improve and so declared the match unplayable.

The fog had earlier caused problems for Arsenal with their plane having to be diverted to Blackpool airport because of conditions in Liverpool.

Many fans were also stuck in traffic, backed-up because of the fog, and would have struggled to have made the 7.45pm kick-off.