THOUSANDS of footballers were left kicking their heels at the weekend after the cold weather intervened.

Instead of a kickabout on their local pitch, players of all ages were faced with the prospect of filling their time another way.

While some cracked open FIFA 13 and others settled down in front of Soccer Saturday, a sizeable amount were roped into shopping trips or spending time with the in-laws.

Many would have felt unfulfilled come Sunday evening, purely because they had not enjoyed the feeling of running about in the freezing cold.

The highest level with a complete set of postponements was the Wiltshire League, with pitches either frozen or severely waterlogged.

Across the border, the North Berks League suffered the same fate as all matches were called off on Friday.

Swindon & District League fixtures never stood a chance of getting the go-ahead, while the Swindon Sunday League programme was a write-off from the outset.

In the North Wilts Youth League, the vast majority of fixtures were postponed due to the conditions, but 16 matches did somehow take place.

Footballers young and old will be hoping that the recent increase in temperature will allow them to take part in The Beautiful Game once more this weekend.