City had used huge covers to keep the frost off the surface but after clearing a foot of snow with the help of volunteers they found the pitch underneath had been frozen all along. Optimistic weather forecasts had suggested a slow thaw would set in today but in the event the cold weather has stayed longer than expected. Already there are doubts about United's home game with Leyton Orient next Saturday. Brunton Park has been frozen solid all week and there are expected to be more freezing nights next week following a predicted thaw over the weekend. The Cumbrians miss out on the television appearance money and will have a wait of at least six weeks for any income at all since their last home match which was on December 1 against Scunthorpe United. The Hull game would have been their first live TV appearance since they met Preston in October 1997 at Brunton Park. Slaven hoping to break record The postponement of the Hull City game will mean 16-year-old John Slaven will have to wait a little longer before he has the chance of becoming the youngest player ever to appear for Carlisle United. The 16 years, 88 days old striker is bidding to beat Rory Delap's record of 16 years, 306 days when he appeared at Scarborough on May 8 1993. Tony Hopper also made his debut that day as a 16-year-old. If Slaven does make his United debut soon, he will become one of the youngest players ever to appear in a league match for any club. The youngster, who hails from Scotland is currently living in Hexham and has already been on the books of Rangers and Livingston as a schoolboy. However he was unhappy at both clubs and has chosen to further his career at Brunton Park. "Rangers was not good. There weren't many opportunites to play for the youth team," he said. "I was at Livingston for about a year-and-a-half. It was quite good, but they were just after big lads. You had to be 6ft tall and beefy, so I was not getting a chance." Roddy Collins has named him in the first-team squad for the last four games, but three of these were called off because of the weather. He is unlikely to give him a starting place but he could force his way on to the bench. |
