Middlesbrough remain confident as Leeds United clash looks set to take place

Middlesbrough are confident the game will take place as long as the bad weather stays away.

Middlesbrough expect tomorrow night’s 7.45pm kick-off at The Riverside to survive the weather unless Teesside is hit by another heavy downfall overnight.

The club’s ground staff have been working to keep their pitch clear of snow for the past two days and a meeting this afternoon involving officials from Middlesbrough, Cleveland Police and the local council has provisionally cleared the way for the Championship match to take place.

Middlesbrough have sold more than 27,000 tickets, including an away allocation of 2,600, and the cold weather raised concerns about the safety of their stadium and the road network around The Riverside.

Persistent snow has forced main roads in the area to close this week and Cleveland Police warned against all non-essential travel this morning.

In a statement published on their website, Boro said: “Work is ongoing to ensure the pitch and stands remain clear at the Riverside ahead of Friday’s game against Leeds United.

“The club is working closely with the relevant authorities, including Middlesbrough Council and the Police, to ensure the stadium and surrounding areas are safe.”

Despite the poor conditions, United’s players reported in for training at Thorp Arch this morning but a pre-match press conference with head coach Paul Heckingbottom, arranged for 12.45pm, was cancelled.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Heckingbottom said: “We’ve had to train inside for a couple of days. We’ve tried to get the pitches cleared, we’d got the covers on so they were playable, but as we were trying to take the snow off the covers it was just continually coming down so we’ve not managed to get on the grass for the last two days.”

Middlesbrough’s squad have also worked at their Rockliffe Park base and manager Tony Pulis said he was hopeful that tomorrow’s clash would survive the weather.

“The groundsmen both here and at the stadium have been fantastic, with people helping and the work going on to get the game on,” Pulis said. “This is a ‘can-do’ club.

“People here want to do things. It shows great spirit. We need a bit of luck that the snow stays off over the next 24 hours and hopefully the game will go ahead.”