Chilly reception means sport is given the cold shoulder

Freezing conditions allied to varying deposits of snow has decimated the sporting calendar this weekend, particularly in Ireland. Soccer and rugby have been the main casualties, while today's rescheduled card at Leopardstown has also been cancelled.

There may be racing at the Dublin track tomorrow, but that is subject to a 7.0 inspection tomorrow morning. Tom Burke, the racing manager at Leopardstown, is hopeful: "We are very, very optimistic that racing will go ahead."

If that proves to be the case, the racing will include Thursday's card - postponed due to a frozen track - and the AIB December Festival Hurdle, due to be run yesterday, but also abandoned due to adverse track conditions.

The AIB Hurdle, in which Istabraq is scheduled to run, will lead off tomorrow's racing at 12.20 in an eight-race card. The forecast for Saturday night/Sunday morning is for milder weather with temperatures rising.

Gowran Park is also scheduled for tomorrow and, while an inspection is scheduled for lunchtime today, racing is expected to take place unless conditions deteriorate appreciably.

The racing fraternity then heads for Tramore and Fairyhouse on Monday. No inspection is planned for the former, but the authorities at Fairyhouse are more concerned, with four to six inches of snow on the track. It will be inspected tomorrow and a decision taken then.

In England, Fontwell and the all-weather track at Lingfield have survived the big freeze and racing goes ahead at those tracks today.

In soccer, last night's National League Premier and First Division programmes were wiped out. Bray Wanderers' clash with Finn Harps has been switched to Monday, subject to a pitch inspection today. St Patrick's Athletic will now face Bohemians at Richmond Park on Tuesday (7.45).

The First Division matches down for last night have not been rescheduled as yet, nor have tonight's games at Whitehall and the Showgrounds which have also fallen to the weather.

In the Premier Division, tonight's game between Derry City and UCD is off, as is the Shelbourne-Galway United game. The Shelbourne match has been refixed for tomorrow at 1.30. Cork City's game with Shamrock Rovers at Turner's Cross will go ahead tomorrow.

In the English Premiership, three matches have already fallen foul of the weather, as have the games involving Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. There will be morning pitch inspections at several venues.

In rugby, the All-Ireland League programme has been considerably disrupted. Only one match in Division One, the game between Cork Constitution and Lansdowne at Temple Hill, has survived to take place today. Shannon's game against Clontarf has been refixed for tomorrow at Thomond Park (12.30).

In Division Two, the games involving City of Derry-Portadown, Wanderers-Sunday's Well and Old Wesley-Malone have fallen foul of the weather.

Four matches are due to take place, although there will be a pitch inspection at Belfield today (12.0) to determine whether the UCD-Greystones fixture goes ahead. The entire Division Three programme has been wiped out. Any postponed matches in Divisions Two and Three are likely to be rescheduled for Saturday, January 27th.

The European Cup and Shield quarterfinals take place on that weekend and therefore the respective circumstances of the four provinces will determine whether any Division One matches can be rescheduled for that date.

London Irish's Premiership clash with Rotherham, due to be broadcast live on Sky Sports today, has also been postponed.