Football frozen off
There was disappointment for both east Perthshire’s junior football teams on Saturday.
Sub-zero temperatures meant Blairgowrie’s away league match with Lochee Harp, which was to take place at Downfield’s ground in Dundee, fell victim to the elements.
It was a similar story for Coupar Angus, who were due to play Scone Thistle at Foxhall Park.
At the eleventh hour an attempt was made to switch the tie to the visitors’ Farquharson Park but the surface was similarly unsuitable.
Mark Brash and his Blairgowrie coaching team will be hoping for better luck this weekend as they attempt to get competitive football under way in earnest in 2018.
The Davie Park squad, who sit seventh in the league on 17 points from a dozen matches, are up against Kinnoull on Saturday in a 1.45pm kick-off.
The Perth hosts are third in the table on 27 points but have played two games more than Blairgowrie.
Logan McConachie’s Coupar Angus host Dundee Violet at home.
The match kicks off at the same time as Blairgowrie’s and the home side will look to add to their tally of seven points from 11 games.
That total sees them sit 12th in the 14-team league, a single point ahead of bottom side Forfar Albion.
Saturday’s opponents Violet have snapped up 28 points from their 12 games this season and occupy second place in the North Division table.
League leaders Dundee North End have 33 points from 13 fixtures.
The Blairgowrie JFC berry-pickers’ weigh-in numbers for January 3 were 3, 5, 14 and 18.
The January 8 draw was 6, 8, 9 and 18.
There were no winners, meaning the prize money next week is £1700.
Coupar Angus JFC are holding a charity shop on the town’s George Street from January 28 until February 3.
A club spokesperson said: “We are in urgent need of items to sell. We will take anything from bric-a-brac to clothes, from furniture to jewellery.”
Volunteers are also needd to run the shop.
Contact the club via its Facebook page for more information or speak to any coach, committee member or player.