Jack Frost put paid to all Highland League games last weekend and, supporters apart, the most disappointed people will be the club treasurers.
Postponements are a difficult issue at the best of times, but especially so over the festive period when healthy attendances are assured.
There is no doubt that many wish to “escape” the cabin fever which develops from several days of over-indulgence cooped up in the house.
And returning relatives, students, etc., back home for a few days, may wish to catch up on their team. The demand for “hospitality” from supporters of two local sides is a significant financial bonus to clubs.
It was, therefore, something of a surprise when the Highland League abandoned local Christmas and New Year derbies a few years ago.
Cove Rangers must have been delighted to be allocated Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park on Boxing Day, although if memory serves me correctly, that game was cancelled. The League experimented with a winter break over Christmas and New Year 1982/83, and Inverness Thistle, Elgin City, Ross County and Brora Rangers were so concerned at the potential loss of revenue that they organised their own, unique “Shut-Down” competition over the Saturday before Christmas and the two Holiday Mondays.
Not only were attendances extremely healthy, but the tournament secured a major sponsor and became the Skol Lager Cup. It turned out to be a one-off as the League quickly abandoned the idea of a winter close-down.
It is too difficult to predict when bad weather is going to strike.
Credit is due to Formartine United for taking their decision to call off the match with Locos last Friday afternoon.
From the photographs of North Lodge Park and the weather forecast there appeared to be little chance of the game proceeding, and I am sure that supporters, officials and players of both Clubs were appreciative of the early opportunity to make alternative plans.
Of course it is not always so and there is nothing worse than a match called off at the last minute. Locos’ supporters will remember fairly recent Christmas matches at Rothes and Lossiemouth being called off within half-an-hour of kick-off, with the former in particular never having a cat’s chance in hell of proceeding in the first place.
Apart from the waste of time, travel is not cheap these days.
My New Year’s resolution for the Highland League, therefore, would be to introduce some guidelines on both timescale of cancellation decisions (depending on travel distance for visting clubs) and immediate communication through advertised media which should not be difficult in today’s world.
I appreciate that on occasions striking the balance isn’t easy and certainly Locos will point out that next Saturday’s match on 3rd January will be the first at Harlaw Park since 29th November. That’s if it goes ahead of course!