AFTER the Beast from the East wiped out the entire junior football card at the weekend, the Super League Premier Division is a MONTH behind.

And Auchinleck Talbot boss Tommy Sloan has joined the growing number of people who think something must be done to sort out the end of season fixture congestion.

The First Division and Ayrshire District Leagues are in a similar state with the latter six weeks behind where it was in 2017.

In the West Region and Junior Cup, a total of 149 matches have been postponed in 2018 with the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup first and second round matches that were due to take place last Saturday rearranged for April 7.

Sloan has been around the junior game long enough to have heard every idea under the sun to avoid the postponements and subsequent fixture congestion, now he wants everyone to come together and make a positive change for the future.

He said: “There have been a lot of ideas thrown about, starting earlier is one. They’ve said cut out this cup or make it a knockout cup about the Ardagh Cup. There have been various ideas but nothing has really been done about it.

“We have suffered more than most. You can’t play at the same level when you are playing Wednesday Saturday.

"I’d like something to be done but I don’t know what. We need to sit down and discuss it.

“Everybody’s game was off [this weekend]. Some of the pitches were playable but it was the travelling issues that were the concern.

"Even the lower leagues in Scotland were off. It’s nice to get the games on but this weekend we were in the same boat as everybody else.”

The 2018 weather hasn’t been favourable towards the football calendar. On March 7, 2017 the Premier Division title race was taking shape with seven of the 12 teams having played at least 16 of their 22 matches.

So far this season, none have played more than 13 meaning almost half the league season plus outstanding West of Scotland and Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup matches would need to be fitted into the three months.

One of Tommy Sloan's managerial counterparts spoke to the Ayrshire Weekly Press sports reporter, Stewart McConnell, on the issue.

Troon manager, Jim Kirkwood, said: "“My solution is instead of starting the Ardagh Cup at the end of July why not start it in the middle of the month as the SPFL do with the League Cup?

“We only play meaningless friendlies so why not play competitive matches?

“The cup is important as it keeps up local rivalries - for instance it might be the only time some teams play each other in a season.

"Also the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup is important — anyone could win it and in this competition it might be the only chance say Ardeer Thistle could play say Auchinleck Talbot away. “

Kirkwood also wants a change to the Scottish Cup scenario when there are numerous replays, suggesting that after two postponements, a match should be moved to a plastic pitch in the area.