IT SCARCELY needs highlighting, but the relentless rain this winter is causing weekly headaches for SWPL secretary Phil Hiscox.

Mr Hiscox has already extended the season by a week until Saturday, May 7, which is the latest allowed unless he seeks permission from the FA - something which they are not keen to sanction.

He said: "We are all used to bad weather and the postponements it causes and in a sense some dates were held back for it. What is different this season - and has rarely happened in the past - is that the weather started before Christmas and here we are in February and if anything, it's worse."

To give an idea of the severity of the situation, two years ago during the last stormy winter, the league programme was 58 games behind schedule at this time in 2014. This season, it is currently 113 games behind schedule.

Mr Hiscox added: "Normally you get a spell of bad and a spell of decent weather. It's for this reason that I am not in favour of a winter break, because you never really know when the worst of the weather will come. The league could have a break through January but it still would have been a wash-out on Saturday."

Wendron have played only 15 league matches and are also in the Charity Cup quarter-finals, so face an even more congested spring than their neighbours.

The situation is particularly grim for Helston Athletic, who have still 17 Premier Division games left to play but are also in two cup competitions. Falmouth Town have 18 games to play, but are not burdened by cup commitments.

In Division 1 West, Penryn Athletic and Wendron Utd have not played a league game this year - the two teams' only outing in 2016 was when they met each other in the Cornwall Senior Cup on January 2.

In almost six months since the season began, Penryn have played just 18 of their 32 league games. They are also still in the Cornwall Senior Cup, which could potentially mean another three games if they manage to beat St Austell in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

In the Trelawny League, sixty matches need rearranging, which is the equivalent to two full Saturdays.

However, with a finishing date of May 31 and less league games due to smaller divisions, fixtures secretary Gerald Sobey is not unduly concerned.

"At this moment there are no problems that cannot be sorted out. It all depends on the next week or two, but I'm quite convinced that we can get back on track."

West Cornwall's long-awaited Junior Cup fourth round tie against St Stephen - which has now been postponed five times - was due to be played on a 3G surface at Mounts Bay Academy on Saturday, but even that became waterlogged.

As if the county has not had enough rain already, another wet Saturday is forecast, following a series of showery days this week. Pass me the tiddlywinks...