Linlithgow: Baikie is left frustrated by snow and ice

LINLITHGOW boss Dave Baikie has been fighting a losing battle to get his players a training session in the top indoor complexes used by SPL clubs.

With the Junior game set to stay in cold storage for the fourth weekend in a row, Baikie has been trying desperately to get the East Region Super League leaders the best possible facilities.

He's even looked at Toryglen next to Hampden and the new Ravenscraig facility, places that have been used by the likes of Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Motherwell in recent weeks due to their own training grounds being covered in snow or frostbound.

"The slots at those places are being booked up a week in advance at the moment and even if you phone at 8.00am in the morning, they are taking bookings first from people who are actually turning up," said Baikie.

Linlithgow, the holders, are due to entertain Auchinleck in the tie of the round in the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup, but that is now not likely to be played until Saturday, January 8 at the earliest due to a two-week break that was already planned for the Festive period.

"Our pitch not only still had six inches of snow on it on Wednesday night but that had also frozen over, so I don't think there is any chance of our Scottish Cup tie being played this weekend," added Baikie.

"We're in the same boat as everyone else at the moment, though we were fortunate that we were able to get a third of our Astroturf pitch cleared so as to allow us to do a bit of work last Saturday, then on Monday and Wednesday this week.

"The possibility of playing a league fixture either on December 26 or January 2, perhaps even the Monday between Christmas and New Year, is something that has been mooted.

"However, the problem with that is getting players available as, in our case, some of them work in shops that will be open on those days.

"I don't know how badly Auchinleck have been hit by the problems caused by the weather and, by all accounts, it's to hit us hard again over the next couple of days.

"It is all very frustrating for everyone involved in Junior football and all you can try and do is try and keep fitness levels to a reasonable standard. Even that's not easy at the moment, though."

"Our pitch not only still had six inches of snow on it on Wednesday night but that had also frozen over" dave baikie