WEST Bowling are fearful that a fixture backlog could again harm their chances of amateur football silverware.

The Bradford Sunday Alliance League Premier Division side, who are also through to the quarter-finals of the Bradford & District FA Sunday Senior Cup and the West Riding County FA Sunday Cup, have only played eight of their scheduled 18 league games.

There hasn't been a full programme of Alliance matches since December 7, and few matches have been played over the past two weekends due to snow and ice, with the League calling off games two Sundays ago and Bradford Council doing likewise last weekend.

Snow, ice, waterlogging and pitches that need protecting in poor weather – and that haven’t been marked out – is an issue that raises its head every winter. However, the debate in amateur football circles this season is whether the decision being made on Thursdays over blanket postponement is too early in the week. Also, should the final outcome be left up to the referees or even the clubs themselves rather than the Council or the League?

West Bowling secretary Freddie Lynn, whose team could face playing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays when the clocks change, said: "We have been going for 47 years, so we have seen it all before – we have even marked pitches out with flour to get games on, while other pitches don't need marking as the lines are made of creosote.

"But the League know that we have twice lost league titles because we haven't been able to play our strongest side in midweek matches late in the season.

"At least 30 per cent of our lads work away, and we have lost some silly games in the past because we have had to field weakened sides at nights.

"What the League should do is leave it up to clubs and the referee. Clubs aren't going to play matches on pitches where their players might get injured."

West Bowling are due to face Belle Isle WMC this weekend in the County Cup, and Lynn added: "If our pitch is not playable and Belle Isle's is, then we will have to switch it to their place, although I don't understand what the panic is as the semi-finals aren't due until the end of March."

Thornton United are the most badly affected as they have only played a third of their 18 Premier Division matches and are still involved in the Bradford & District FA Cup and the Alliance's Sunday Senior Cup.

United's secretary James Marsh said: "We had our District Cup third-round tie against Allerton called off four times (twice on grass and twice on artificial pitches) and ended up playing it on the artificial surface at University Academy Keighley last Sunday.

"The pitch hire cost us £90, half of which was paid by the District FA, and the referee cost us £30, while it will be a similar deal for us when we play White Eagles at Allerton Academy in the quarter-finals a week tomorrow (February 12)."

Alliance Division 3B leaders Steel Bangle Spartans, who have played 11 of their 20 league matches, are also involved in the quarter-finals of the West Riding County FA Sunday Trophy.

Spartans secretary Harjit Moore has a more radical approach to the backlog, saying: "The season should start in March and finish in October.

"We are not professionals, we could play in better weather, and midweek matches would not have to start at 6.15pm because of the light.

"They could start at 7pm and it would avoid the mad scramble across Bradford from work at 5pm where you need to get there for 5.45pm to get changed and have a proper warm-up.

"I know there is cricket but there are not that many dual-use pitches these days."

Bradford Council are standing by their statement issued last Thursday regarding the weekend just gone.

Their statement read: "Due to recent snowfall, it has been impossible to carry out any maintenance or line marking.

"Many of the pitches are covered in snow, and if a thaw occurs the pitches will become very wet and would suffer substantial damage if sporting events were played on them."