The South West Peninsula (SWP) League has, like other leagues across the area, been hit by the weather.

SWP League secretary Phil Hiscox, one of the game’s top administrators, has drawn up comparisons over recent seasons with regard to the current number of matches having to be found new dates owing to all the rain!

After last weekend’s complete washout the SWP League was 113 games behind schedule and that is one more than the previous biggest number at the same stage of recent season – the 112 in the 2009/10 campaign.

By comparison last season (2013/14), at the same stage just six games were behind schedule!

Locally, Sidmouth Town have not played a league game since January 16 and the 4-2 reversal at Appledore. The Vikings have played just four times in the 10 weeks that have followed since the end of November. Indeed, with home games being many clubs largest source of income across the season, the Vikings have played just two home games since October 3!

On that early October match day they thumped Liverton 7-2 and were then not back in home league action until November 28 and a 3-2 success over Okehampton Argyle since when their only home game was the December 19, narrow 2-1 defeat to champions-elect Tiverton Town Reserves.

Town will be hoping the weather allows them to host St Martins this Saturday (February 13). If that too falls to the weather then the February 20 visit of Crediton United would be the first home game for the Vikings in two months and one day!

Town have 16 matches to negotiate in what remains of the season with the final date for matches currently being Saturday, May 7.

That means that if this Saturday (February 13) were also lost to the weather then the league campaign would have 11 Saturday’s left. With Town still having 16 matches to play in their league campaign it’s going to be a case of all hands to the pumps in terms of playing numbers with the club likely to contesting two or three games a week!