Today's game is OFF

Match OFF due to snow.

The SL have got to extend the season now, the Martyrs have already got nine games scheduled for April!

cliffyboy wrote:The SL have got to extend the season now, the Martyrs have already got nine games scheduled for April!

I wouldn't get your hopes up. The footballing authorities couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. It's ridiculous to expect part timers to play that often too - it's bad enough at Newport where the players are full time, let alone when there are other jobs to be doing in the daytime.

I think we have 11 games in 28 days or something stupid like that, which in itself is not a problem for full timers, but it is when everyone else has a nice one game a week run in!

Look at Bridgwater's schedule; it's ridiculous. I don't think there is any chance of the SL extending the season, unfortunately. It's going to make a lottery of the final league places.
Merthyr's last three games now called off- bad weather twice and floodlights failure at Taunton.

All games in our division postponed today.

we meant to be playing home today wernt we?

is there any snow in Merthyr?

SwanseaJack wrote:we meant to be playing home today wernt we?

is there any snow in Merthyr?

Posted a photo on our club twitter account SwanseaJack.

https://twitter.com/MerthyrTownFC/status/315385744321564673/photo/1

Jamie Mack wrote:

SwanseaJack wrote:we meant to be playing home today wernt we?

is there any snow in Merthyr?

Posted a photo on our club twitter account SwanseaJack.

https://twitter.com/MerthyrTownFC/status/315385744321564673/photo/1

bloody hell, we got blue skies here in carmarthenshire

Even if it hadn't snowed, the game was in doubt because of two days of heavy rain and the chairman asked volunteers to arrive at the pitch at 9am to help fork the pitch.

Looking at the weather forecast for the coming week, also into Easter and the following week, there's no improvement in the outlook; we may be cancelling fixtures for the next two weeks!

Minus 4 degrees C forecast for Merthyr area on Wednesday when we are scheduled to play home to Clevedon.

Merthyr braced for fixture logjam after another match off
Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo

MERTHYR Town are facing a growing fixtures backlog after having their last three Southern League matches postponed. The entire South and South West Division programme was wiped by the weather over the weekend and Merthyr still have 12 matches to play between now and Saturday, April 27.

The first of those is against Clevedon Town at Penydarren Park this Wednesday, the start of a run which will see the Martyrs squeeze in their 12 matches in 32 days.

Promotion rivals Poole Town, favourites to finish the season champions and take the one automatic promotion place available, are at home against third-placed Swindon Supermarine tomorrow evening. There are eight midweek fixtures scheduled with Bridgwater Town v Taunton Town and Mangotsfield United v Sholing scheduled for this evening.

Merthyr badly need a home win to keep them on course to earn one of the four play-off places available, while they then travel to play Tiverton Town on Saturday. Both Clevedon and Tiverton are in the lower half of the table and the Martyrs will be looking to win both.

Gary Colborne is due to start a suspension, but has had to wait because of the postponements. The delays, though, have given Ryan Newman extra time to recover from injury.

Joint managers Garry Shephard and Danny Carter will keep their team focused on these next couple of matches as they aim to secure a third successive promotion.

They swept through Western League football by winning the Division One and Premier titles in successive seasons, but are facing a tougher test at Southern League level. The Martyrs are still right in the hunt, though, and intent on that top-five finish.

What are the chances of Wednesday's game going ahead? I assume Penydarren Park is still snow-bound...now on Monday lunchtime!
Merthyr Tydfil Veterans played at Pentrebach on Sunday afternoon and the pitch was OK- no snow on it. But about half a mile up the road, the temperature was one degree colder.
Minus 4 degrees for the Merthyr area on Wednesday so I can't see us playing. The snow is not going to melt. If there was to be an extension of the league, it could be a problem. The Merthyr players are off on an end of the season holiday on May 8!

I should think they'll be ready for a holiday after the next few weeks.

Tim Drummond wrote:What are the chances of Wednesday's game going ahead? I assume Penydarren Park is still snow-bound...now on Monday lunchtime!

According to the weather forecasters there is not much chance that snow will melt this week but some of it will disappear, invisibly, due to something called sublimation (solid to gas) with low humidity & dry winds.

There is still 37mm of snow lying on our rear garden and if this is any indication of what its like at PP then there must be some doubt about Wednesday's game already.

Yes, the forecast is not good!!

Yeh it doesn't look good. Spring my ars!

This looks promising - posted on Club's Twitter account earlier tonight.

Perhaps shep and carter have been using the Alex ferguson hair dryer treatment on the pitch....there is always snow available in Merthyr whatever season....five pound a bag usually..whatever the weather....fingers crossed jack frost doesn't start as a substitute at our midweek fixture....otherwise I will write to David Icke Cameron and co and ask for my global warming taxes back...must get my hummer back on the road again to burn some much needed carbon.....at least I might geta chance of seeing some non league football again....boz

Trouble is, it's not just the ground that has to be ok, but to satisfy H&S the terraces have to be free of snow and ice as well! I have just looked at the long range weather forecast, and can see that there are going to be three warm sunny days; trouble is its one in July, and two in August! Joke!

E mail I have just recieved from Jamie Mack, any help would be appreciated.


''I was on the ground at 6pm tonight, and despite the air being cold the pitch itself was soft, which looks good for tomorrow. Dai James made a snow shovel and we cleared the part of the pitch that had the most amount of snow/ice left, but there may still be a little in the morning to clear.

An area we would need to focus on though is part of the stadiums where it is a little icy, especially by the gate to get onto the grandstand, there is a lot of water there and it is icy. I think we may need to spread salt on some areas. It may be worthwhile having some signs up too warning people to take care, and if they fall it is at their own risk!

I will be in work so won't be able to be there during the day. Can anyone be on hand to clear anything on the pitch that may still remain, and can someone please look at the spectator safety and spread some salt on any areas needed?''

I think that legally, if you charge for admission to the ground, and a spectator were to fall on ice sustaining serious injury, then even if you do have signs up warning of the conditions, the club would still be legally responsible; you would have to study the clubs insurance policy regarding spectator safety to get a clearer understanding of the implications. It would be necessary to fence off any hazard, and not allow spectators into those areas to satisfy the HSE.

Martyr Weaver wrote:I think that legally, if you charge for admission to the ground, and a spectator were to fall on ice sustaining serious injury, then even if you do have signs up warning of the conditions, the club would still be legally responsible; you would have to study the clubs insurance policy regarding spectator safety to get a clearer understanding of the implications. It would be necessary to fence off any hazard, and not allow spectators into those areas to satisfy the HSE.

with all the ice around the ground i think it would be sensible to send all supporters to sit in main grandstand for this evenings game or seating area behind the goals

as martyr weaver said if someone falls on any ice around the ground they will get hurt & a claim would be put in against the club

it just makes sence as the main bar at the ground is situated in the main stand along with the toilets !!

Yes, Martyr Weaver is correct from the legal point of view re accidents on ice or snow.
Anyway, we won't know until later if the game is on tonight.