How former Sheffield Wednesday boss Ron Atkinson beat the freeze back in 1979

With a little bit of help from Germany.

Atkinson ordered his Albion side to wear trainers on a snowbound Hawthorns pitch in their home game with Bristol City on New Year’s Day 1979.

“I got the idea from West Germany. My players told me that the boots helped them keep their balance excellently,” Atkinson said.

Other ideas were rather more unconventional.

The press reported that QPR rigged up a ‘giant condom’ to try and thaw out their weather-ravaged Loftus Road surface, with the R’s going onto lay an Astroturf pitch a couple of years later.

There was time for a spot of further mirth as well, with Leicester City winger Keith Weller famously wearing tights under his shorts, in the Foxes’ FA Cup game with Norwich City, prompting a fair bit of stick.

All told, just eight games – in league and cup – were played in Yorkshire in January, 1979.

Sheffield Wednesday hosted Arsenal at Hillsborough in their first meeting in their quintet of FA Cup games on January 6.

Three ties were staged three days later with Middlesbrough hosting Crystal Palace at Ayresome Park and York City welcoming Luton Town at Bootham Crescent.

On the same day, Sheffield United hosted Aldershot before the first league game of the month in the county four days later when Leeds United beat Manchester City 1-0.

Rotherham United hosted Manchester City in a Cup replay on January 17, with Leeds facing Southampton in their League Cup semi-final first leg seven days later.

On January 30, Doncaster Rovers entertained Hereford United in Division Four.