More Weekend Sport Off - and More to Come!

Round Four of the Manx Mountain Bike Club Cross Country series on Sunday at Archallagan Plantation has been postponed. The course is covered in snow and sheet ice, with very little prospect of conditions improving.

It was announced yesterday that Sunday's Southern Motorcycle Club Enduro Championship opener at Dalby Mountain has been postponed after discussion with the Met Office and other authorities. It will now take place on Sunday 14th February.

In Football, Saturday's Magic Carpets Cup for under-10's at St. John's has been postponed by a week.

Frozen pitches both on and off the island threaten to ruin the Rugby programme. Vagabonds and Ramsey are due to travel away to play Dukinfield and Holmes Chapel respectively.

Manx Radio Sport understands 10 inches of snow covers the pitch at Dukinfield, where the temperature dropped to -14 degrees last night. And the pitch at Holmes Chapel is also unplayable.

The Rugby Football Union is trying to move both matches to Southport as flights are already booked and paid for. A decision about whether the switch is possible will be made on Friday afternoon.

The South Lancashire and Cheshire Division Two match between Douglas and Ashton on Mersey has been postponed - the pitch at Port-e-Chee is still under snow and ice. There were moves to play the game at Ramsey but Mooragh Park is reported to be frozen solid.

The cold weather has also claimed the Manx Shield fixture between Emerging Nomads and Douglas "B".

Finally, the big freeze threatens the entire weekend's Football and Hockey fixtures.

A decision about the Saturday's ten F.A. Cup ties could be made as early as Friday lunchtime.

And the Manx Hockey Association will decide tomorrow about Saturday's Men's and Ladies League fixtures - currently all artificial pitches on the island are frozen.