MY colleagues from t'other page have been understandably frustrated by their lack of activity in recent weeks.

Official figures confirm our suspicions that winters are becoming milder but certainly much wetter.

Hence the blight of frozen pitches has been replaced by the weekly spectre of waterlogging.

Some councils sensibly have an early warning system whereby a blanket postponement is invoked when conditions are particularly severe. But in most cases the decision rests with the match referee or another official acting on his behalf. So what thought process do we undergo in ascertaining whether we play or visit the local retail park?

Firstly and obviously, a large expanse of standing water precludes play. Whilst not inherently dangerous, clearly the ball will not travel truly over the surface rendering any attempt to play laughable and ultimately futile. Secondly there is the issue of thick mud. This is where danger lurks.

A limb trapped in cloying mud is very susceptible to being broken in a tackle. I recently inspected a pitch which had supposedly been fit 10 minutes earlier prior to a deluge.

I voiced my doubts to the secretary as a herd of pit ponies and several sturdy ropes were used to extricate me from the mire.

I concede we possible postpone nowadays when in the past we'd have given it a go. This is usually because we are the only people who have seen the ambulance-chasers lurking in the bushes ready to jump out with a claims form when your full back fractures his tibia.

These people are concentrating their attention on sports fields hence the current crop of young match officials is being advised to call off the game if there is the slightest hint of potential danger. Sad but true.

So it's a game of darts in the local, savouring the delights of cut price shopping, or putting 50p each way on the 3.20 at Musselbrough.