Uefa Clash To Go Ahead
By Karl Wilkinson
February 18 2004
Newcastle's Uefa Cup clash with Valerenga next week looks certain to go ahead - although the club are on alert should problems occur.

Newcastle's Uefa Cup clash with Valerenga next week looks certain to go ahead - although the club are on alert should problems occur.

The clash has long proved problematic amid fears minus-20° temperatures - which generally operate at this time of year in Oslo - would force a change of venue for the third-round, first-leg clash on 26 February. Aswell as the minus 20°c snow fall is forecast for that day.

Uefa instructed Valerenga to find an alternative to their Ullevaal Stadium should the weather result in a postponement, Newcastle officials later discovered no arrangements were in place.
However the pitch at the stadium in good condition thanks to the undersoil heating constantly in operation.

Cushing told the Evening Chronicle: "The only green grass we saw in the whole of Norway was the actual pitch at the Ullevaal Stadium, which is quite a good one.

"It had been snowing when we were there, but the pitch was clear. They have undersoil heating and they are keeping it on all the time - and if they can keep the snow off the pitch then things should be okay."

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.