Safety meeting clears Wolves' FA Cup tie with Shrewsbury Town to go ahead
Wolves’ FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town has been given the go-ahead following a safety meeting amid snow and ice caused by Storm Goretti.
The Express & Star understands a meeting was held by the Molineux Safety Advisory Group on Friday afternoon to assess whether it was safe for the fixture to take place.
Storm Goretti has brought heavy snowfall across the West Midlands, with tens of thousands of people facing power cuts and travel disruption. A 24-hour weather warning for ice has also been issued.
Wolves have taken a number of measures to ensure the match can be played, and the city council’s safety team has not recommended that the fixture be postponed.
Ground staff at the stadium have worked to clear the pitch, assisted by safety and security staff as well as members of the fan services team.
The Premier League club have also funded external support, including snow ploughs to clear car parks and walkways throughout Friday, along with gritting around the stadium.
Concerns raised during the meeting centred on icy conditions, public safety and the travel of supporters to the ground.
Meetings had been planned for Saturday morning, but Wolves were keen for a decision to be made on Friday to avoid inconvenience for fans travelling long distances for the much-anticipated cup tie. Both clubs were eager for the match to be given the go-ahead.
Supporters are being advised to take weather warnings seriously and to take extra care when travelling to and from the stadium, and when navigating around Molineux itself.
Fans have been reminded that areas may remain icy, and that some pedestrian routes in the area may not have been treated.
It comes after Shrewsbury Town’s League Two match at Salford City was postponed last weekend due to a frozen pitch. More than 3,000 Salop supporters are expected to back Michael Appleton’s side at Molineux on Saturday.
The fixture will be Wolves’ first FA Cup match of the season, with Premier League and Championship clubs entering the competition at the third-round stage.
Shrewsbury reached this stage by beating non-league South Shields and Sutton United.
The sides last met in the FA Cup during the 2018/19 season, when Shrewsbury earned a replay at Molineux in a dramatic fourth-round tie before eventually losing 3-2 after another spirited display.
Kick-off is at 12.15pm.
