RAMSBOTTOM United were weather beaten in more ways than one after last weekend’s FA Vase third round tie at home to Hallam was postponed due to a waterlogged pitched, writes Tony Cunningham.

Because the tie was called off twice - Rammy’s pitch was frozen the weekend before - an FA ruling means the game will now be switched to Hallam on Saturday.

The club has every right to feel aggrieved that chances of progressing to the fourth round has been watered down by the loss of home advantage.

As if to make the task all the more difficult, the scheduled league fixture away at West Didsbury and Chorlton on Tuesday night, also fell foul of the weather, meaning there will have been a three-week gap since the team last played a competitive fixture.

Should Rammy be successful, they would have home advantage in the next round in January against either Silsden or Newcastle University.

The postponement last Saturday saw the squad head down to NPL West Division leaders Leek Town in a late rearranged friendly played on Leek’s artificial pitch.

This was a game played in three 30 minute sections, with manager Steve Wilkes shuffling the squad to give as many players as possible some game time.

Although well beaten, Wilkes, saw this as a good opportunity to evaluate a number of players on the fringes of the first team.

Wilkes has managed to bolster his squad this week with the arrival of Theo Farquharson and Dylan Fitzgerald.

Farquharson is a 6’6” centre back who came through the academies and youth at Manchester City, Manchester United, Burnley, Oldham and Stockport. Following a spell at Bromsgrove Sporting, He joins on loan from FC United.

Fitzgerald is a winger who progressed through the ranks at Mossley and into their first team. He then had spells at Abbey Hey and Prestwich Heys, scoring plenty of goals along the way before moving on to Avro.