Macca no answer to weather

"It is to continue to be cold next week so there's every chance that the reserve match at Cowdenbeath on Tuesday could be off. It's another week without a game and it is quite hard to get training facilities now."

Jim McIntyre described the situation he now finds his team in as a bit of a disaster. The postponement of the Homecoming Scotland Scottish Cup fifth round tie at Airdrie on Saturday means a second weekend out of the last three with no competitive action for Dunfermline Athletic. Add to that the severe lack of playable or available training facilities and his concerns can be understood:-

"It snowed last Saturday and Sunday before Airdrie got a chance to put the covers on. There is still snow on the park and then there's also been a big freeze.

"There is nowhere to train. An indoor hall is all that we can access because all the astroturf pitches are booked for Saturday.

"It is to continue to be cold next week so there's every chance that the reserve match at Cowdenbeath on Tuesday could be off. It's another week without a game and it is quite hard to get training facilities now."

With winter taking a grip the Pars have been fortunate to be able to use Fife Council's all weather surface.

"We have managed to train at Dalgety Bay all last week - it's hard on their legs but we gave the players a right hard training session on Friday because we knew the game would be off.

"Next week it will be the same again. It is a disaster."

The lay off will give more time for the likes of Kevin Harper and Stephen Glass to recover from injury but the weather and conditions still worked against the gaffer:-

"I can't get Kevin anywhere to run because you can't go on astroturf after a knee injury. Same with Stephen Glass, he is back doing a bit of jogging but he is a week to ten days behind Kevin. Kevin is ready to train but I cannot get him training with us because of the weather and it doesn't look as though it is getting any better. A lot of boys react to astroturf so it can affect old injuries. It is not great."

Even his own injury - a partially torn achilles - means he will be out for some time yet:-

"I never want to stop playing, I love playing and I think I can offer something. If I didn't think I was contributing that might be different but in the games I have come on I have contributed and as long as that continues then I am happy to keep playing."

Athletic's next game will be away to Thistle next weekend but Macca naturally touched on the debate about a winter break:-

"When do you have a winter break in this country? Last year we had two weeks of snow in March. To avoid that we'd probably have to play from March to December the way the Irish do.

"To be fair we have played in some horrendous conditions this season, as a game it makes it more of a lottery for both sets of players and also it is not the greatest spectacle for fans as well. When you have been in it twenty years you are used to playing at certain times and taking holidays at certain times. I don't know the answer."