Charlton game is off

He judged that there was already a significant amount of water on the surface, and with freezing temperatures forecast overnight on Friday, the pitch was expected to freeze.

“The Football League called the game off based on the information given by me," said D'Urso.

“I told them that there is currently a covering of snow on three-quarters of the pitch. Where the snow has thawed, there are puddles of water.

“Due to the amount of snow and water, forking those areas would not make the water go away.

“The weather forecast in terms of temperatures is minus three degrees throughout the night, with temperatures only rising to one degree on Saturday.

“With the temperatures overnight and the amount of water, the pitch was likely to freeze.�

The match has therefore been postponed, and will be rescheduled for a date later this season.

Tickets already purchased for the fixture will be accepted at the rearranged game, or fans can contact The Valley commercial centre to arrange a refund.

All Valley Express bookings will remain valid for the rearranged fixture unless cancelled. To obtain a refund, fans must return their Valley Express tickets by post or in person to the commercial centre at The Valley together with a note requesting a refund, which will then be credited to the card used to make the purchase.

The postponement was caused by the heavy downfall of snow at the start of the week, which led to several midweek matches in the South East being called off, including an FA Cup tie at Arsenal.

Indeed, D'Urso himself called off a match at Bradford City on Monday night, and the referee confirmed that using frost covers over the surface wouldn't have helped.

Mick Everett explained: "Unfortunately, because the frost covers are fine mesh, they don't assist with dealing with snow, and when you put them down ahead of snow you can't remove them."

While the pitch inspection was taking place, Cardiff also reported that they were struggling to travel to The Valley for the game following heavy snowfall in Wales that has caused significant disruption, including the closure of the Severn Bridge.

For more information visit www.cafc.co.uk