"WE are now six or seven weeks behind on where we wanted to be with our fixture schedule," says Leigh League secretary Malc Blakeley.

"The weather has just clobbered us but we're not alone in that because all other leagues are in the same boat as us.

"Fortunately we played quite a few midweek games right at the start of the season and they way things have turned out that has stood us in good stead. At the moment there is not much need to panic. We will get through the season but it could mean a lot of night games in April for teams.

"What really worries me is the long term effects. It's not quite how it used to be in the old days when a game of football was the be all and end all for lads. These days there are so many other distractions. Now we have gone six or seven weeks without a game lads may have begun to lose the habit that Saturday afternoon is football.

"Their good ladies may well have seen the advantages of having them around doing jobs or going shopping. On the other hand some of the ladies may be praying we get playing again just to get them out from under their feet! "But running teams these days is a real struggle and anything than can adversely effect it is a worry. Obviously there is nothing we can do when the weather is so bad but you just wonder if some lads may have drifted away from the game in the meantime. Only time will tell and it's fingers crossed that we can get going again soon.

"Up to date we have lost 88 games to the weather that I will have to try and schedule those in somewhere. Added to that there is the Inter League competition. We have yet to play a game whereas we should have completed two matches by now. There is no way I can now cancel league fixtures in order to play representative matches because I just have to get games in wherever I can.

"You just have to feel a lot of sympathy for teams. They can pay around £300 for pitch fees, £120 league and cup fees and all other sorts of expenses. These are met by paying subs each week. Because they've not been playing, they won't have been collecting these monies. The amounts build up on both sides with the teams owing outstanding amounts on fees and lads may well be so far behind in paying subs that it will hit hard when he has to pay it as a one off sum."