I MAY have had a shock to the system or a bang to the head. That can be the only reason for me to pen the words ‘Well done Lancashire FA’.

Yes folks, you read that right. I have just praised the people in their smart offices in Leyland.

I really can’t remember much praise for them down the years...but I am more than happy to pat them on their collective backs. In a stunning show of rarely seen common sense, LFA chiefs took an early decision – on Monday – to call off tonight’s Challenge Trophy semi-final between Bacup and Padiham...and I salute them.

There was no way the County Ground was going to be fit in time so the LFA showed sense to call off.

That is not an accusation you can level at too many bodies, especially pro football.

Take last weekend. Burnley were at Millwall. By anyone’s books, that’s a tidy poke on a Saturday and means a set-off off no later that 7.30am.

So Millwall called an inspection for 9am. Cheers lads.

As it happened the game went ahead and Burnley won. But had it been off there would have been a collection of Clarets fed-up at service stations up and down the motorways.

Too often games are called off too late and people cry sympathy for the poor players.

I don’t care if footballers have to travel and I don’t really care if journalists have to make a trip.

They are people who get paid to do their job. The only people to feel sorry for are the fans who pay the wages.

It’s time football thought of the fans first...and next time we get a blast of bad weather they need to get advice off the LFA.