Clarets boss Stan Ternent was in philosophical mood after his side were forced to miss out on the traditional New Year's Day fixture for the second year running.

The heavy rain that left the Bramall Lane pitch water-logged yesterday morning followed the freezing weather that saw the clash with Bradford City at Turf Moor called off exactly one year earlier.

But Clarets manager Stan Ternent looked on the positive side, as he said: "At least I might have a few more players back for the rearranged game."

He was also relieved that unlike the previous Boxing Day, when the game at Rotherham was iced off, neither the team nor the club's thousands of fans had set off for Sheffield.

"We were due to set off at 11.30am but we heard about the match being off before then," he said.

"My old chairman at Bury, Terry Robinson, had called me in the morning as he travelled across to tell me what the weather was like and warn me it might be off.

"We got the lads together, sent them home and we will now start preparing for the FA Cup match against Grimsby Town on Saturday.

"The good thing is we managed to stop all the fans setting off so we weren't all stuck over in Yorkshire. Lots of games have been called off and it does make you think again about whether it is a good idea to have a winter break."

That is a suggestion that has been made in recent weeks by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and with games postponed all over the country yesterday it will again be a subject for debate.

It is the second game the Blades have lost to rain this season and Andy Pack, spokesman for Sheffield United, explained:

"Referee Alan Butler had scheduled a pitch inspection for 11.30am but by 11.15am it was clear there was no way the game could go ahead.

"Sheffield has had heavy rain for a couple of days and the forecast was that it would continue into the afternoon. The club got slaughtered a few weeks ago when a decision was kept being put back about the match against Reading before it was called off shortly before kick-off. It is never easy to decide when to call a match off but we did want to try and stop fans travelling."

The match against Reading has still to be rearranged and so it may be some time before Burnley's game is put into the calendar, and it may depend on how well they both do in the FA Cup this weekend.

There is no match scheduled for fourth round day later this month but both clubs will be hoping they are still involved.

With Dean West, Glen Little and Gareth Taylor all suspended for the match at Blundell Park, Ternent will be hoping that injured players Paul Cook, Lee Briscoe and Graham Branch may be available for selection.

Grimsby, like the Clarets, had a day off yesterday as their pitch was waterlogged for the visit of Bradford City. The two clubs will be hoping for drier conditions over the next couple of days to allow the Cup clash to go ahead.