Eva Batters Boxing Day Games

Boxing Day’s football schedule has been hit by the weather as heavy rain from Storm Eva in the north of England and in Scotland caused a raft of postponements.

The Championship fixture between Blackburn and Middlesbrough has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park, which is due to host Carlisle v Plymouth in League Two on 2 January.

Carlisle’s trip to Accrington on Boxing Day is also off, just days after the Accrington manager John Coleman criticised the Football League for allowing Carlisle to play three home games at other venues after their Brunton Park ground was flooded.

In League One, Blackpool v Oldham, Wigan v Sheffield United, Bradford v Burton, Rochdale v Crewe and Bury v Barnsley have all fallen victim to the weather, with inspections planned at a number of other grounds.

In League Two, the matches at Hartlepool, York and Morecambe are off in addition to the game at the Crown Ground, while National League games at Guiseley, Barrow and Altrincham are postponed, also due to waterlogged pitches.

In Scotland, the Premiership match between Dundee United and Motherwell at Tannadice is off, as well as Partick v St Johnstone and lower-league matches at Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath.

Postponed Boxing Day fixtures

Championship

Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough

League One

Blackpool v Oldham Athletic

Bradford City v Burton Albion

Bury v Barnsley

Rochdale v Crewe

Wigan v Sheffield United

League Two

Hartlepool United v Notts County

Morecambe v Mansfield Town

York City v Northampton Town

National League

Guiseley v Grimsby Town

Barrow v Gateshead

Altrincham v Chester FC

Scottish Premiership

Dundee United v Motherwell

Partick v St Johnstone

Scottish Championship

Raith v Alloa

Scottish League One

Cowdenbeath v Albion Rovers

Scottish League Two

Arbroath v East Stirling

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Sports Quotes - Bob Paisley

“If you’re in the penalty area and don’t know what to do with the ball, put it in the net and we’ll discuss the options later.”

Bob Paisley, Liverpool FC

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Carlisle Keeper in Flood Rescue

Carlisle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie had to be rescued by the police after being trapped by floods that left Brunton Park under eight feet of water.

Gillespie will join his team-mates on Tuesday as the Carlisle squad offer assistance to those affected by the worst floods to hit the area in 40 years. But, in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, the former Newcastle trainee has described his dramatic rescue from the first-floor window of the club digs he was staying in next to the ground after being ruled out of Sunday’s FA Cup victory over Welling due to illness.

“The team travelled on Saturday morning at around 8 o’clock and I woke up and wasn’t feeling too well so I decided I wasn’t well enough to travel,” he said.

“I was staying in bed all day and that’s when the bad weather started to hit. The water was literally at the door and I thought ‘something serious is going to happen here’.

“I phoned the police and there were more priority cases than me so from 9 o’clock until 6pm I was upstairs watching it unfold. Eventually they came for me and I was lifted out of the upstairs window.”

While club officials await permission to return to Brunton Park, the squad hope to be able to train as normal at their weekday practice base which appears to have escaped the worst of the weather.

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Anfield Changes for Klopp

Liverpool assistant Sean O'Driscoll has left the club while Gary McAllister has been removed as first-team coach ahead of Jurgen Klopp's arrival at Anfield.

The German is set to replace Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked on Sunday, and sign a three-year contract on Thursday.

Ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Klopp, 48, plans to bring in former assistants Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz as part of his Liverpool backroom staff.

McAllister is currently considering the offer of another role with the club.

The 50-year-old Scot and former England Under-19s coach O'Driscoll, 58, replaced Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh, who were both sacked after a summer review of Liverpool's management team.

Liverpool's head of opposition analysis Chris Davies - who joined the club with Rodgers in 2012 - has lost his job along with head of performance Glen Driscoll.

Bosnian Buvac, 54, and German Krawietz, 43, were key members of Klopp's backroom team during his time at Dortmund.

Liverpool had also been considering former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is out of work.

But the 56-year-old Italian has suggested he may only return to management next season.

He said: "I enjoy my time now but, of course, I want to come back to manage - to work - because it is my passion.

"I want to take my time to rest, but next season I am ready."

Klopp guided Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles before he departed this summer after a difficult domestic campaign in which they lost the German Cup final to Wolfsburg and finished seventh in the league.

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