North football leagues take a battering from winter weather

Feb 7 2010 Sunday Sun

FOOTBALL leagues across the North have been thrown into chaos by wintry weather, leaving clubs facing a huge backlog of games.

As the end of the season draws closer, many clubs are now having to play up to three games a week to catch up and ensure all matches are played in time.

The majority of North East Sunday and Saturday league sides have not had a game since the beginning of December, which has taken its toll on both league and cup fixtures.

In the Northern League, for example, not one ball was kicked between December 12 and mid-January.

Although 26 volunteers with Marske United, of the Northern League, pitched in to clear their playing field during a December fixture, fresh snowfalls forced the game to be abandoned.

Club secretary Tony Golightly said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare.

“In all my years with the League, this is the first time we’ve lost all the fixtures on three successive Saturdays, never mind four.”

With many pitches council-owned, games have just been called off with teams having no say in the matter.

Fixture Secretary Mark Storey for the Crook and Turnbull Cramlington District and Sunday League said: “It doesn’t matter what efforts the club might make to get the game on, they are governed by the local authority and if they say the game is off, the game is off.

“We have only played seven games since the turn of the year.