An overnight snowfall in Dorset and temperatures down to -5 degrees saw the Dragons’ fixture on Saturday at Dorchester postponed as the team coach was boarding at the Camrose.
Work had begun at first light in Dorset to remove snow from the pitch, but the fixture succumbed to the weather following a 10.30am pitch inspection, ensuring Town did not have to travel.
This came as a blow to Frank Gray and his team as they would have been keen to follow up on the FA Trophy win at Havant last week and would have been confident of returning to north Hampshire with three points.
Last season, Town were not alone in the disruption caused by the winter weather, but with Basingstoke badly affected by the snows of 2009/10 Town missed out on substantial paydays with the New Year’s Day fixture against Eastleigh and table toppers Newport County 11 days later being casualties and ending up as Tuesday night fixtures with low attendances.
Already this season has seen a headache for fixture secretaries including Town’s as the bad weather has arrived a month earlier than last season.
With Town progressing this season to the fourth qualifying round of the FA cup and a number of other Blue Square Bet South teams also doing well, a number of fixtures have had to be re-arranged, the Dartford fixture already having been re-scheduled twice.
The Dragons enter December having only played 14 league games, and with Town still active in the FA Trophy and Hampshire Senior cup it means there are a minimum of 30 fixtures to be played over the remainder of the season.
With the midweek match at Thurrock looking a serious casualty to the weather, fixture secretaries up and down the land will be looking for an improvement in conditions to prevent a manic end to the season. With the forecast not looking good, it is likely that Town’s next game will be at home to Staines on December 4, leaving them nearly two weeks without a competitive fixture.
But not only the first team was disrupted. Spare a thought for Academy manager, Jason Bristow. He has only seen his side play twice since October 25 as youth team games have been hit by postponements.
December is a big month for the Dragons with FA Trophy and Hampshire Senior Cup ties and three away games against sides in the top five of the league. Will Town get the presents that they deserve or will they be left disappointed? Come January 2011, we will all know.
