Parkway praying for a rain break

YOU can forgive manager Lee Hobbs for having an air of pessimism when he is asked about Plymouth Parkway’s forthcoming match in a season absolutely decimated by postponements, especially with a weather forecast that looks decidedly bleak in the coming days.

- STUART JAMES

In truth, it is hard for me too, trying to find new leads, different angles and having a fresh approach to write a Parkway match preview when so many penned before have been rendered meaningless when the match previewed has ultimately fallen foul of the elements.

In my 20-plus years as a journalist, I have never known anything quite like it and neither has Hobbs. But while this may be amateur football, I have nothing but admiration at the way he – and other local football managers – adopt such a professional approach to a game when the outcome is almost inevitable.

“We just have to prepare for the game as best we can and until we hear otherwise,” Hobbs says when asked about tomorrow’s fixture with Merthyr Town. “The players are fully aware of the potential situation they are running into and all we can do is keep training them, keep preparing them and making sure they are ready for when we do play a game.”

With heavy rain falling on saturdated ground as I write this on Thursday afternoon, there is a glimmer of hope with the weather set fair for today. Whether that is enough time for the Parkway pitch to dry out sufficiently only time will tell, but then, more rain is forecast for tomorrow.