Snow-clearing volunteers praised by their clubs

THE volunteers who pulled out all the stops to ensure that two key games went ahead at the weekend by clearing the snow of pitches have been praised by their clubs.

On Friday evening a man, his machine and a group of hardy souls cleared a blanket of snow off Castlederg’s Darragh Park to ensure that Saturday’s crucial Lough 41 Championship game between Dergview and Belfast visitors Newington went ahead.

The pitch didn’t require a pitch inspection the following morning and the home team duly delivered a 3-0 victory to boost their survival chances.

Afterwards. Dergview boss Tommy Canning dedicated the victory to the volunteers who had put their shoulder to the wheel.

“The first thing I would say is that if anybody deserves the three points today it was the people who were here last night (Friday) clearing the snow of the pitch to ensure the game went ahead,” he said.

“At 5 o’clock yesterday this game wasn’t being played; there was no way. People were on it with a machine and others with shovels and so on. The three points are for them. We really didn’t want this game to be off because right now we have a wee bit of momentum.”

Meanwhile. Dungannon Swifts chairman Keith Boyd thanked those who cleared the snow off Stangmore Park just hours before their Premiership game against Glenavon.

The pitch failed an inspection at 11am, but, following the efforts of club volunteers, it was declared playable two hours later.