JOHN BULLEN reports on local soccer's tale of woe caused by the weather and the contingency plans made by the Bolton Sunday League and the Bolton Boys Federation. IN the last seven weeks Bolton Sunday League were scheduled to play a total of 104 games, They managed only 22.

"It's just been chaotic," said official Bob Sghuttleworth, "and it can only get worse."

The first dilemma facing the league, however, is pitch fees. The second instalment from clubs has to be paid by December 18 but with teams not receiving subs from players who are not playing, there's not much left in the kitty.

"The payments are in two stages so if their rental is £350 for the season they now have £175 still to pay. Already you can see the answer that we are going to get next week.

"They haven't been playing, so they haven't been getting together so they haven't been collecting subs. Very few teams, if any at all, will have the money in their coffers to be able to pay that second instalment.

"We will then have to go to Leisure Services cap in hand and ask for an extension but hopefully I don't think they'll be too difficult about that because obviously they understand the situation.

"We have so far lost about six weeks worth of fixtures. Being half a dozen weeks behind will mean we will have to play well into May to complete the season. We will have to work hand in hand with the other local leagues arranging our midweek fixtures so they don't clash.

"Lads who play Saturday and Sunday football already face the possibility of playing four or even five times a week during April and May."

He added: "There will also be a heavy toll on the pitches in a short space of time. We have pushed our Divisional Cup competitions back into the latter part of the season but our Open Cup we have to get played as the date for the Final at the LFA Headquarters at Leyland has already been booked for April 8."

Miles Harrison of the Bolton Boys Federation in true boy scout fashion is "well prepared".

He says: "We are about six weeks behind on our playing schedule just as everyone else is but I'm quite confident we'll get through.

" I have a few tricks up my sleeve. We are going to ask teams with private grounds to play over the Christmas and New Year holidays so that will clear a little of the backlog.

"One advantage we have being a junior league over a senior is the school holidays and I have plans in place already to stage fixtures during the half term breaks.

"If the worst comes to the worst, and it would only be as a last resort, we may ask some teams to play certain games on Astroturf.

"What we may miss out on is that we have literally scores of lads who play cricket as well as football so extending into the summer is not an option for us."