Heavy rain and high winds across Britain have lead to the cancellation of several sporting fixtures.

In the third round of FA Cup, five matches have been cancelled but the biggest tie called into question because of the weather - Portsmouth v Aston Villa - was given the all-clear after a pitch inspection on Saturday.

Bristol Rovers' home tie with Ipswich at the Memorial Ground also survived a morning pitch inspection.

The following cup ties were postponed due to waterlogged pitches:

• Bournemouth v Huddersfield,
• Cheltenham v Reading
• Peterborough v Walsall
• West Brom v Stoke
• Darlington v Wolverhampton

The games involving the four non-league sides still in the FA Cup third round are going ahead.

Le Tissier races to Derby

Southampton's star Matt Le Tissier faced a cross-country motorway dash to get to Derby on time for the 3pm FA Cup third round match at Pride Park.

Le Tissier was stranded in Guernsey by storms for three days but managed to get a flight to the mainland Saturday morning.

His flight landed at Eastleigh Airport in Hampshire at 10.09am where he was met by a Saints official.

They then began the 150-mile journey to Derby which was likely to take at least two and a half hours.

Saints' chairman, Rupert Lowe, said: "Matt was visiting his estranged wife and children but the weather stopped him getting back. He spoke to our manager Dave Jones and told him there was no way back on Friday and made arrangements with Dave's blessing to be driven up on Saturday morning.

"The weather was still bad but they managed to get a flight out, thankfully."

Rugby and racing fall victim to rain

The weather has also affected rugby union and race meetings.

Rugby matches at Coventry, Moseley and Rugby have been cancelled, and Musselburgh and Lingfield have the British racing scene to themselves.

Races at Newbury and Uttoxeter have both been lost to waterlogging but Saturday afternoon's Irish meeting at Naas will go ahead.
 

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