Otley Town’s cup success and the bad weather have combined to create a big fixture backlog for them.

Through to the final of the Wharfedale FA Challenge Cup where they are due to face Ilkley Town, and in the semi-finals of the West Riding County Challenge Cup, Town have only played 13 West Yorkshire Premier Divi-sion games.

It means they still have 17 to play and they are still in the League Cup.

Last Saturday saw the third postponement of their West Yorkshire League Cup tie against Howden Clough. Whoever wins that tie will face a tricky away tie against Bardsey.

Their opponents will be still smarting after being thrown our of the West Riding County Challenge Cup quarter-finals for fielding an ineligible player.

Just to exacerbate the fixture pile up – all Otley Town teams will not be in action again this coming weekend.

Long before the bad weather came Otley re-quested permission from both the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Leagues to have a free-weekend.

That is so their players can attend and enjoy the club’s annual sportsmans dinner at West Park Bramhope on Friday.

Club official Graham McGee said: “The upshot of all this is that we have completed just 13 of our 30 league games and taking into account the upcoming ‘lost weekend’ we are effectively in to March.

“For Otley Town it’s going to be a testing spring time with plenty of games.

Fixture problems also continue to snowball for Ilkley Town after Satur-day’s snow wiped out the matches for their three senior sides on Saturday.

As the season drifts towards Spring, the number of games lost to poor weather over the winter period will create pressure on the respective league fixture secretaries and the Ilkley Town teams are more fortunate than many others in having completed more fixtures than most other teams in their leagues.

The Ilkley Town first team have the most games to play having done well in both the Wharfedale District Cup, where the team has reached the final, and in the West Yorkshire League Cup where they have reached the fourth round.

The date of the Wharfedale Cup Final against Otley Town, traditionally held at Guiseley's Nethermoor ground, has yet to be finalised but there is some concern from Ilkley Town fans that the possible date of Monday, May 2 will see a clash with the Ilkley Carnival.

On Saturday, Ilkley Town first team face a hard away game against championship contenders Robin Hood Athletic in the West Yorkshire League Division One. The kick off is at 2.30pm.