PNE's Boxing Day clash with Barnsley is off because the areas around the stadium have been deemed unsafe. The referee had passed the pitch as playable and Preston North End would like to apologise for any inconvenience.
Speaking about the decision to postpone the game, general manager Ben Rhodes said: "At 7am this morning we had ground staff and a number of volunteers at the stadium trying to clear the pitch and the process continued throughout the morning. We also had contractors with bulldozers and gritters working on the car parks.
"The referee arrived at 11am to complete a pitch inspection and he deemed the surface suitable to play. At this point however the surrounding areas were not deemed safe and the referee gave us the option of an extra half an hour to get things ready, we took a decision at this point and decided that Deepdale and the surrounding areas would not be safe for spectators.
"We have a duty of care to spectators to make sure that they are safe when they visit Deepdale and unfortunately due to the extremely icy conditions underfoot, particularly on the footpaths surrounding the stadium, we could not guarantee spectator safety.
"The police and authorities supported the decision and agreed that spectator safety was paramount. We apologise for any inonvenience this has caused, particularly how late the decision was made, but it was felt by all at the Club that the contractors, staff and volunteers should be given every opportunity to try and make it possible for the game to go ahead."
Preston North End would like to thank all the ground staff, volunteers and workers who gave up their free time to work hard trying to get the pitch and surrounding areas fit.
A decision on when the rescheduled fixture will be played will be made at a later date.
All matchday hospitality events at the stadium have been cancelled and the commercial department will be in touch with all guests over the next week to update them on the latest situation.
