Premier League Nike AerowSculpt strike ball. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Premier League Nike AerowSculpt strike ball. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Premier League Nike AerowSculpt strike ball. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Burnley transfer rumours: EPL rival wants Burnley star to form 'spine' of team, Aston Villa plot triple January exit

Sean Dyche was disappointed to see Burnley's home game with Spurs postponed.

But he accepted that the rapid snowfall meant there was no other decision to take, for the safety of the players, and fans around the stadium.

Heavy snow from lunchtime onwards meant the pitch was white over again as soon as it was cleared, with the ball struggling to roll freely, and once the Spurs coach arrived from Manchester - having taken twice the time expected to make the journey - both managers and referee Peter Bankes came to the same conclusion.

Dyche said: "Obviously disappointed, we planned and were ready for the game, and I am sure they were as well.

"I must say, a lot of people have worked very hard here over the last couple of hours, but as you can see, the pitch re-covers every time they clear it.

"Our goalkeeper has just gone out there and the ball is collecting snow. The referee explained the safety angle as well. I think they have just made as early a decision as possible."

There has been some speculation that the undersoil was not working - however, it had been on since Wednesday, with the soil temperature at 11 degrees, the leaf temperature - that at the surface - seven degrees, and the ambient air temperature three degrees.

The issue was purely the sheer amount of snow, and Dyche confirmed: "It is on, it has just fallen that quick and that heavy. An hour ago it was just too quick for the system.

"The system is on, it is good for icy pitches but I don't think it can get rid of the snow quick enough.

"The referee explained it is lines getting cleared, so you would have to keep stopping to clear the lines, so not just the pitch and there is the safety angle. I think it is joint decision for everyone concerned.

"We were ready for the game. I made it clear, as did their manager, if it can be played, I want it on, but a joint decision was made and I can't see how it could go ahead."

Spurs boss Antonio Conte also wanted to play if possible, but felt the right decision was made: "There is a bit of disappointment because we were ready to play.

"We prepared the game and we had the travel, but at the same time I think the referee made the right decision to safe the situation for the players, for the fans, for everybody and there is a bit of disappointment but the decision was right.

"You can see 10 minutes before they tried to cut it off and now it is worse than before.

"In this condition, it is not football, I want to play football, to have fun, to play and to give emotion and in this type of situation it is impossible. There is serious risk to the players to take an injury and this is not good.

"We have to exploit this situation tomorrow to have a training session or today. Now we have to come back to London and prepare two important games against Brentford and Norwich, we will have more time to prepare the training session and now we need to exploit it in the right way."