WHO would be a groundsman this winter? What a thankless task it must be at the best of times as the battle with the elements is constantly fought.

This autumn with the unprecedented amount of rainfall it has brought has seen those weekly battles lost with soul destroying regularity. Have sympathy and understanding if you will with those gallant and determined chaps who fight the battle on behalf of Leigh and District amateur football - Wigan Metro Leisure Services.

Last week we pictured four of their employees working hard on Howe Bridge Mills' pitch at the Leisure Centre.

"The problem is that there is now so much water in the ground that there is almost nowhere for it to go," they explained. "The water level is so high that the turf itself is virtually acting as a sponge as more rain comes down. The grass is just struggling to live as it is almost drowning. We keep a diary in the office and it has rained at some point every single day since July 31 and most of those very heavily indeed. There may be a bit of sunshine in the morning but the temperatures are not hot enough to take much away and when it rains later in the day it is right back to square one.

"We have just not been able to get on and cut the grass or mark pitches out so even if it does stop raining now some fields will just not be usable straight away. We did one pitch last week that was so wet we had to have three blokes on it using hover mowers and at Howe Bridge we are having to use an ordinary lawnmower.

"We are trying our best but we are having to use methods which we would normally never consider. We are contracted to cut each pitch in the Wigan Borough 17 times a year and the costs are based upon two workers going down with a tractor and the marking out equipment. What we are doing now is very labour-intensive and each pitch is taking us virtually a whole day.

"The trouble is with so much water around if a pitch is inspected and passed fit for play it will be a touch-and-go decision. It's odds on the surface will cut up and we will have more work in the long run. It really is a dilemma!"