Port Vale vs Bradford City: League One Clash Postponed by Storm Bram

Storm Bram Forces Postponement of Key League One Fixture

Port Vale’s home match against Bradford City on December 9 has been called off after Storm Bram left the pitch at Vale Park waterlogged. The highly anticipated League One encounter between two sides at opposite ends of the table was postponed following a pitch inspection by referee Benjamin Speedie.

The postponement highlights the significant weather disruption across the United Kingdom, with the Met Office warning of winds up to 90mph and heavy rain across much of the UK, with Scotland and the north west of England set to take the hardest hit.

Contrasting Fortunes for Both Clubs

The fixture held particular significance for both teams given their contrasting league positions. Port Vale currently sit at the bottom of the League One table, whilst Bradford City are positioned in second place in the league. Port Vale, sitting towards the bottom of League One, had hoped to build some momentum against a Bradford side pushing at the other end of the table.

Bradford City were promoted to League One on the last day of the 2024-25 EFL season after their victory over Fleetwood Town which secured the third-place promotion place, and have made an impressive start to life back in the third tier under manager Graham Alexander.

Weather Wreaks Havoc on Football Schedule

Referee Benjamin Speedie inspected the Vale Park surface on Tuesday afternoon and made an early decision to call the game off due to large amounts of standing water. A Port Vale spokesperson confirmed the playing surface had been deemed unplayable by the match official.

The postponement is not an isolated incident, as weather conditions have disrupted football fixtures across the country. Saturday saw Sheffield Wednesday’s game at Blackburn Rovers and the Conference match between Rochdale and Southend United postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

What’s Next for Both Clubs

As of now, there is no announcement regarding a new date for this fixture. Port Vale have confirmed that further information regarding a rescheduled date and ticket arrangements will be available in due course. Both clubs will be keen to find a suitable date in what promises to be a congested fixture schedule as the season progresses.

For Bradford City, the postponement may prove beneficial as they continue their automatic promotion push. There is a good chance Bradford could retain their place in League One’s automatic promotion places, though Stevenage can overtake them by winning one of their two games in hand, but are at home to league leaders Cardiff City.