BACUP boss Brent Peters has called for a December break in the Vodkat League after a number of postponements because of snow and cold weather.

Bacup host Flixton in the Premier Division tomorrow but Peters said: “It is a common fact that quite a lot of fixtures have been hit by the weather in the month of December throughout the league.

“The hard facts are that when a game is in doubt or becomes a victim of the weather, it is a costly procedure - catering going to waste, programmes having been printed, inconveniencing match sponsors, inconveniencing match and league officials, inconveniencing staff at the football clubs who in the main are all volunteers.

“This happens at a time during the one month in the league’s calendar when there are also other important issues within the lives of everyone concerned. What I am taking about is Christmas.

“In the build-up to Christmas families have shopping, there are Christmas parties to contend with, and obviously the nearer it gets to Christmas Eve, families are getting ready for Christmas Day.

“When it comes to Boxing Day, the last thing people want is to be going to a football ground to find the game off.

“People are pulled away from their families to organise the shopping for catering in readiness for the game, a situation which is inconveniencing volun-teers at a time that is dedicated for children and families.

“A further aspect that should be taken into consideration is that the month of December, being linked to Christmas, revolves around food and drink and parties.

“People involved in football in general really can’t afford to get involved in having drinks on Christmas Day due to being involved in Boxing Day club fixtures.

“I realise that Boxing Day should the games be on, that clubs will probably get their best gates of the season as normally it will be a local derby.

“However I am convinced that, should the statistics be studied for over the previous seasons, the Boxing Day fixtures have been severely hit.

“I believe that the North West Counties League should take a break from December 1 until January 1.”