TOBERMORE United manager Aidy McLaughlin and his assistant Sammy Shiels were both left fuming last Saturday when they got the call at 12.45pm to say that their game with Ards had been called off.
“This is the second time in three weeks that we have had a game cancelled,” complained Aidy.
“It was bad enough two weeks ago when Mr McFadden called off our game at 11.30, even though there wasn’t a drop of water on our pitch, but when my chairm
an Raymond Beatty called me from his holidays abroad at 12.45, when our bus was less than half an hour away from Ards, to say that he had just received a call from the IFA to say that the game was off I thought it was a wind up.
“It’s bad enough being told early in the morning that your game is off but at least you haven’t gone to all the trouble of getting the players assembled never mind the expense of hiring a bus, but to be told less than two hours before kick off is unacceptable.
“There really is little that you can do but it now means that we will have four rearranged games to play out of our last eight with them most likely being evening kick offs.
“At least the two bosses will have a chance to let off some steam next Saturday, weather permitting, when Tobermore entertain basement club Portstewart. “
Sammy Shiels commented: “Portstewart may currently be sitting bottom of the league but they got a creditable draw last week against the Welders and they have beaten us twice this season already so we know we are in for a tough game.
“We will have the lads up for it and it is a great incentive to know that although we are currently sitting in seventh place in the league we are only six points behind Carrick who are in third place, and we have three games in hand on them.
“On the other hand two or three defeats could see us down in the bottom four, that’s how tight this league is.”
Fixtures
Saturday April 5 V Portstewart (home) Carnegie Irish League Div 1 (k.o 2.30)
Saturday April 12 V Ballyclare Comrades (home) Carnegie Irish League Div 1 (k.o 2.30)
Saturday April 19 V Carrick Ranger (away) Carnegie Irish League Div 1 (k.o 3.00)
Saturday April 26 V Lurgan Celtic (home) Carnegie Irish League Div 1 (k.o 2.30)
Tobermore have four more fixtures that dates have yet to be confirmed.
Ards, Dundela and Bangor all at home with the other fixture away to Ards.
Dates and times for these games will be published as soon as known.
Tobermore United Mini Soccer Centre
Tobermore’s Mini Soccer Centre continues every Saturday morning from 10.00 until 11.00 at Maghera Leisure Centre.
The fun sessions are supervised by qualified coaches and are open to all boys and girls of primary school age.
The full article contains 508 words and appears in Mid Ulster Mail Cookstown newspaper.
