Storm Dennis put paid to any hopes Whitchurch Alport had of staging Saturday’s home fixture against Northwich Victoria.

The winds started to batter north Shropshire around mid-afternoon but long before then the weather had intervened.

The Yockings Park pitch has been damaged almost beyond repair as far as this season is concerned with incessant rains leaving it waterlogged more often than not.

The game was already in doubt the day before it was scheduled to be played so heavy overnight downpours on the Friday made the pitch inspection a formality.

A local referee was called in mid-morning but with pools of water all over the pitch there was never any chance the game could go ahead.

Club officials were naturally disappointed with a crowd of over 300 expected and Vics likely to have been backed by an away support in excess of a hundred.

The match will be rescheduled – probably for a Monday night – and the gate will be affected which could cost Alport hundreds of pounds in lost revenue.

Attention will now turn to tonight’s (Wednesday) game away at promotion chasing Longridge Town.

The two teams met last month at Yockings with Longridge really impressive and deserving of their 2–1 victory but since then they have struggled for results.

But it’s off the pitch where most of the news has been created this week with two players leaving the club and one coming in.

Left winger Sam Phillips got himself a dream move but the biggest shock surrounded popular goalkeeper Dave Parton’s transfer to Premier division rivals Congleton Town.

The Bears put seven days in on Parton before the two clubs met on February 1.But Parton wanted to delay his decision until after Aaron Millington’s funeral held last Tuesday.

A large gathering of first team players attended both the church and the wake which was held at Yockings.

Days later Parton announced his decision on the club’s website.

A statement from the club said: “Whitchurch Alport are disappointed to announce the news that goalkeeper Dave Parton has opted to join North West Counties Premier Division outfit Congleton Town.

“Parton, who joined back in July 2018 following our promotion to the Premier Division, has been a huge favourite here at Yockings Park.

“Numerous trophies won, awards, penalty saves and even a goal scored this campaign!

“He is certainly a big player and character that will be missed by the Alport family but we wish him all the best and understand that the offer was too good to turn down to make the move.”

Meanwhile, Parton also commented on the decision.

“I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone associated with Whitchurch,” he said.

“It has been a very difficult decision to end my time at the club who I will always hold in high regard and who have given me some of my best memories in football in the two years I’ve played here.

“I would firstly like to thank Luke for bringing me to the club.

“The way the club is run is in no small part because of the hours he puts in himself, Tommy Sheridan and the rest of the volunteers put in and to be able to play a very small part of the progression of the club is an honour for me.

“I would also like to thank the management and all the players for all their help and kind words they have given me since I made the decision to leave.

“Special thanks to the players for putting up with me – there’s nothing worse than a moaning goalkeeper.

“And, finally, I would like to thank the fantastic supporters of Whitchurch Alport.

“From day one you have made me and my dad feel at home and no matter what kind of performance I’ve put in you have always been very supportive.

“I’ll miss you and I’ll try and get down to see you all when I can.

“Once again, big thanks to everyone and I will hopefully see you again sometime in the future.”

Interim chairman and former manager at Alport, Luke Goddard also had his say.

“It’s disappointing to lose someone of Dave’s ability, he was a big signing and he’s played an important part in ensuring this club made the progression at Step 5.

“He’s also a person I have always got on with and he has a family that I have big respect for away from football.

“Sadly, it’s just how things move on and the offer put together by Congleton is something that Parton would’ve been daft not to take up.

“So, I genuinely wish him all the best and in the future our paths may cross again.

“Thanks from us all at WAFC.”

The offer to which Goddard alluded to in his own statement is believed to be somewhere in the region of £200 a week with the player also put on a two-year contract – a number Alport say is an incredible amount of money for a club at this level to be offering and somewhere they couldn’t possibly hope to compete with.