logo
logo

13 times the snow made football even better: Snowball fights, orange balls, plough trucks…

Planet Football •

Arsenal players and footballers from around the globe have provided us with some of the most entertaining moments when the game has been blessed with some snow.

Football players and fans take to the snow in different ways, some seeing it as an unwanted cold annoyance, whereas some see it as an opportunity to entertain. It’s a rare occurrence, though, and deserves to be celebrated when we do get it.

With the snow preparing to run riot, we’ve taken a look back at some of the times it’s made us chuckle, with snowballs galore, orange balls, blue lines and, of course, the classic snow dive celebration.

Finnish football

Talk about preparation.

In England, the tactic is to dig out the winter ball and gloves and hope that the pitch isn’t frozen.

None of that in Finland, though. They know the score.

Use some of that absurd money floating around the Premier League to fund a few snow-ploughing monster trucks for the rest of the pyramid and we’ll be set forever.

Gennaro Gattuso

Gattuso has always been an angry man, but he took things one step further when he was told his team couldn’t train outside due to the snow.

“We’re a bit annoyed,” He told reporters ahead of a game against Lazio in 2018: “Snow hadn’t been seen in Roma for years. We’ve worked in the gym, but I’d have preferred us to work on the pitch.”

Gattuso vs the city of Rome and its indecisive weather. That’s a scrap we’d pay big bucks to see.

Cologne vs Freiburg

Back in 2018, German outfit Koln were awarded a penalty with the chance to make it 2-0 just 15 minutes into a tie with Freiburg.

However, the snow left the referee searching for the penalty spot – and he even had to count out the yards.

And then Cologne didn’t even win the match, with the visitors coming back from three goals down to win 4-3.

Carlton Cole

West Ham travelled to Blackburn for a 1-1 draw in 2010, and Cole took a tumble into the snow, fortunately seeing the sunny side along with home goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

 

Arteta-ball in the snow

The foundations of Arsenal’s resurgence under Mikel Arteta were laid in seriously snowy conditions and an empty stadium.

You simply can’t stop liquid football.

Spartak Moscow

A great goal – we think.

Cannot see a thing. At all. No idea how the players are going out on there and picking out passes through that.

Orange ball, blue lines, heaters, get it all out there and hope for the best.

Ipswich v Leicester

You can just tell from Roy Keane’s face that he thinks there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the conditions this game was played in.

Plus it might have something to do with the fact that his Ipswich side were 3-0 up. The blue lines are something to behold.

St Mirren v Dundee

No, not the football match. The snowball fight between the two sets of supporters.

Gangwon v Incheon

OK, sweeping the lines clear and not the rest of the pitch has become accepted as a mini-solution to snow on a football field.

But what they chose to do in this K-League match is just bizarre…

Luis Silva

Real Salt Lake’s Silva wasn’t happy about losing the ball to Vancouver Whitecaps’ Tim Parker.

Lewis Cook and Wilfried Ndidi

The pair got themselves acquainted when snow fell on Bournemouth’s clash with Leicester.

WATCH: Lewis Cook and Wilfred Ndidi have snowball fight during match

Legia Warsaw

This is a bit one-sided, don’t you think?

Neil Grayson

Snow on the side of the pitch, score a diving header, why wouldn’t you dive head-first into the snow?

READ NEXT: Encara Messi, noodle-haired Ronaldo & NHS Martial: When footballers found their most dangerous versions

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 20 defenders with the most assists in Premier League history?

Premier League Quick Reads Lists And Rankings