GRASS-ROOTS football officials are facing a nightmare fixture pile-up as the wet weather continues to wreak havoc across the county.

With more rain expected before the weekend, all the major adult and youth leagues in the area have been greatly affected by the downpours.

For example, the last time a full programme of fixtures was completed in the biggest league in Southampton - the Drew Smith Saturday League - was back in November.

And last Saturday, when continual downpours which begun on Friday night decimated the following day's fixture list, just two out of 66 games were completed.

Another two kicked off but had to be abandoned.

Possible solutions to the fixture congestion include teams having to play double-headers - two games back-to-back - rescheduling cup finals and applying for an extension to the season.

The increasing likelihood is that clubs will face midweek fixtures.

That throws up the possibility that players who play for both a Saturday and Sunday adults team could be playing SIX times a week.

That's because Saturday teams with extra fixtures will play their midweek games on a Monday and Wednesday.

Sunday teams in a similar position will play their extra games on a Tuesday and Thursday.

In-depth report, featuring the latest fixture news from adult and youth leagues in the Southampton area, in today's Daily Echo.