Rain Postpones 14 League Games

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 19

Rain Postpones 14 League Games

(N.Z. Press Association^-Copyright)

LONDON. Heavy rain played havoc with the English League soccer programme on Saturday. Waterlogged grounds caused the postponement of 14 matches, and two other games had to be abandoned because of atrocious conditions. The first division leader, Liverpool, perhaps a little legweary after its mid-week European Cup winners’ cup win over Standard Liege in Belgium, was held to a goalless draw at Newcastle. This enabled Bunley, its nearest rival, to narrow the gap at the top to two points. Manchester United, the reigning champion, crushed Tottenham Hotspur, 5-1, to retain third place. The win was sweet revenge for its 1-5 defeat by Tottenham in London on October 16. Scotland had better weather, and in a full programme of league matches Rangers retained the first division leadership and leads Celtic by two points. Results:— ■NGLISH LffAGUfl

Division one.—Burnley . 4, Leicester 3; Everton 2, Fulham 0; Manchester United 5, Tottenham 1: Newcastle 0, Liverpool 0: Nottingham 0, Sunderland 9; Sheffield Wednesday 0, West Ham 0; West Bromwich 0. Aston Villa 0 (abandoned after 52 minutes). Postponed: Arsenal v. Blackpool, Chelsea v. Blackburn, Northampton v. Leeds, and Stoke v. Sheffield United.

Division Two.—Birmingham 4. Bury 0; Bolton 0. Derby I: Crystal Palace 0, Manchester City 2; Huddersflsld 4. Rotherham 0; Ipswich 3. Southampton 0; Middlesborough 3, Wolverhampton 1; Portsmouth 3, Cardiff 1: Preston 1. Bristol City 1. Posponed: Charlton v. Coventry, Plymouth v. Carlisle, and Leyton v. Norwich.

Division Three.—Grimsby 3. Oldham 1: Oxford 1. Queen’s Park Rangers 3; Southend 2. Peterborough 0. Swansea 2. Mansfield 3 (abandoned after 58 minutes). Postponed: Brentford v. Watford, Bristol Rovers v. Scunthorpe. Shrewsbury v. Gillingham. Swindon c. Millwall

Division Four.—Barrow 1. Barnsley 5: Bradford 4, Lincoln 2; Chesterfield 3, Port Vale 1: Doncaster 3. Transmere 1: Hartlepools 0, Colchester 1: Luton 2. Bradford City 3: Rochdale 2, Crewe 1: Wrexham 1, Darlington 2. Postponed: Newport v. Chester. Torquay v. Halifax, Aidershot v. Notts County.

SCOTTISH LRAGUO Division One.—Clyde 2, Rangers 2; Dundee United 0, Kilmarnock 0; Dunfermline 0, Celtic 2; Hibernian 3, St. Johnstone 0: Morton 0, Falkirk 1; Motherwell 1, Aberdeen 0; Partick 2, Dundee 0; St. Mirren 1, Hamilton 0: Stirling Albion 2, Hearts 2. Division Two.—Albion 2. Stranraer 0; Ayr 2 Arbroath 1; Dumbarton 3, Alloa 0; East Stirling 1, Queen's Park 2; Forfar 2, Cowdenbeath 3; Montrose 4, East Fife 1: Queen Of The South 2, Aiirdrieonlans 1; Raith 1, Brechin 1; Third Lanark 1, Berwick 1. IRISH LRAGUO Ards 1, Glenavon 3; Ballymena 2, Glentoran 1; Crusaders 4, Bangor 1: Derry 4. Cllftonvtlle 1; Distillery 3, Coleraine 1: Portadown 1, Linfield 2. Results of matches played on Friday were: RNGLISH LKAGUR Division Three. —Bournemouth 0, Exeter 1; Walsall 2. Hull 4; York 0, Brighton 1. -Division Four.—Southport 2. Stockport 0.