With matches being cancelled due to freezing weather in England and Premiership managers complaining about having to play 4 matches in 8 days, the pressure on the English Football Association (FA) is building up.

England's Swede coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is pressuring the FA to guarantee a 4-week training camp before the World Cup tournament kicks off. However the FA is now facing the prospect of more cancelled matches as the bad weather continues to cause problems in the country.

Charlton Athletic fans made a 300 mile travel to Newcastle, only to hear that the match is cancelled 30 minutes before kick-off. 17 football matches in the Premiership and the Coca Cola Championship had to be cancelled in both England and Wales.

The Blackburn vs Sunderland and the Bolton Wanderers vs Middlesbrough matches had to be cancelled yesterday and would have to be fit in the remaining holiday period.

Graeme Souness, the Newcastle manager, and Alan Curbishley, Charlton's manager, complained about being forced to play 4 matches in 8 days, while the usual winter break is highly unlikely to happen.

English Premiership spokesman Dan Johnson said "It is particularly difficult this Christmas because we have to squeeze in an extra game," trying to address the managers' concerns.

"After negotiations with the Football Association, we agreed a four-week break at the end of the season for England’s World Cup preparations."

Speaking about the winter break Johnson said that "If someone shows how it is logistically possible to fit in a break in the middle of the season then we will certainly look at that."

"But when you are talking about (allowing England) four weeks at the end of the season and we have a full fixture calendar to fit in, it becomes increasingly difficult."

"You also don’t know when the bad weather is going to fall. You could have a very mild Christmas when it is possible to play the games and then have a winter frost in January."

Dan Johnson insisted that the 4-week period at the end of this season was viable, not only to Eriksson but by FIFA, the governing body of World Football, itself.

"The four-week break before the World Cup was laid down by FIFA to enable players competing in the tournament to get proper rest and recuperation."

"In order to give the England team the best possible preparation time and chance of success in Germany, it was agreed the FA Cup final would take place on May 13, with the Premier League season finishing the weekend before."

"This was to allow Sven a level playing field with the other nations competing at the World Cup," Johnson added.

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