NON LEAGUE: THE list of non-league postponements on the Saturday before Christmas were the worst for 40 years, a football league chairman has discovered.

Essex Senior League chairman Robert Errington, in his weekly league news letter, said: “There is no doubting that last Saturday was the worst for non-league matches called off in England and Wales, certainly during the 40-year history of our league and probably on par, if not worse, than the shocker that was the winter of 1962-63.”

On that Saturday, December 18, the only non-league fixture completed was Fleetwood’s game with Newport Country in the Conference National. Luton’s home game with York also kicked-off, but was abandoned after 55 minutes.

There were no games at steps two to seven, and Maldon St Mary’s match with Leigh Ramblers in the Essex Olympian League was abandoned after 35 minutes.

Two games were played in division one of the Cornish-based South West Peninsula League, three survived in the Jolly’s Cornwall Combination.

The only other game in the non-league was in division one of the Humber Premier League, where fans were treated to a 12-goal thriller, with Hodgsons beating Withernesea 9-3.

And only one cup game was played, at St Newlyn East, where the visiting St Buryan side won 4-3 in the Junior Cup of Cornwall.