Ties frozen out by conditions

Sporting fixtures across the Advertiser area were hit by the weekend’s heavy snow and freezing temperatures.

Virtually all outdoor sport had to be cancelled because of the weather, including Newark Rugby Club’s crunch cup match at home to Mansfield.

A pitch inspection was held at Kelham Road on Friday afternoon, when hopes of the Three Counties Cup tie being played were dashed.

It would have been Newark’s first match in the competition since winning the trophy last year.

Southwell, Bingham and Ollerton rugby clubs’ games were also victims of the severe weather.

There was a complete whiteout in the Newark Alliance on Sunday, with all 20 scheduled matches being called off.

Saturday football was equally disrupted, with all but two matches in the Central Midlands League postponed and all games in the Grantham and District Saturday Football League cancelled.

Junior matches in the New Newark Youth League and the Mansfield Youth League were all cancelled as well.

Snow had settled on the all-weather pitch at the Magnus Sports Centre, meaning Newark Hockey Club’s fixtures could not go ahead.

The angling world did not escape the weather either.

The Joe Cox Winter League match at Collingham on Sunday had to be abandoned because the ice on the lake was too thick to break. Saturday’s Janson’s Winter League match was also cancelled.

However, Southwell Racecourse was able to stage a meeting on Friday despite the weather.

A meeting at the course was abandoned earlier in the week, when Tony McCoy was due to ride in pursuit of his 3,000th winner.

McCoy eventually reached the landmark at Plumpton on Monday.