THE rash of fixture postponements in the county are ‘a nightmare’, says Herefordshire FA chief executive Jim Lambert.

Some football clubs in Herefordshire have not kicked a ball since the middle of December due to the deluge of wet weather.

Only two football matches in Herefordshire survived the deluge last weekend.

And Fownhope have played just eight of their 24 fixtures in the Herefordshire League Premier Division.

“A number of teams are still involved in cup competitions and Ewyas Harold Reserves are in four cup quarter-finals and all at home,” said Lambert.

“If Harold Reserves are in four semi-finals at home then the club’s first team are not going to see a home game until the middle of April.

“The wet weather has been a nightmare for local football and I don’t think we ever had such a long period of wet weather during the football season.

“We have not known so many matches being postponed since the foot and mouth crisis which gripped the county 13 years ago.”

Leintwardine Colts were thrashed 9-1 at Orleton Colts Reserves in Herefordshire League Division Three last Saturday but manager Chris Shurmer does not expect his side to enjoy home comforts for some time.

“I managed to scrape a team together and we played on the small pitch at Orleton,” said Shurmer.

“At least we played and that’s another game I can chalk off the list.

“But our home pitch at Leintwardine is underwater and I doubt we will be able play on it for a month.”

A Jewson Polypipe Herefordshire Sunday League Division One South fixture between Commercial and Welsh Club Colts has been booked for the artificial pitch at Hereford Academy at 10am this Sunday.

But Lambert said: “In the short-term, there’s no clear indication of the rain stopping and the grass pitches at the moment are so sodden.

“Since Christmas, the weather has been disastrous for football and, for ground without floodlights, we can’t schedule midweek matches there until the middle of April.

“At some point, we will have to make some decisions but, at the moment, we will be releasing the fixtures on a week by week basis.

“The pitch at the County Ground is always playable but there’s no chance of playing on it at present. I can see a big puddle in the middle of the pitch.”