You Think The Big O’s Got Problems.... ?

You think we’ve big weather problems in Montreal with the 24-hr postponement of the Concacaf Champions League 2nd Leg clash?

Well, cast a thought for little Dergview FC. The Northern Ireland Championship (2nd tier) side from the border village of Castlederg has just suffered severe flooding at its modest Darragh Park stadium.

The pictures portray a shocking scene.

Just weeks before, I’d attended an Irish Cup tie there when Glentoran were the visitors. The Dergview club had rolled out the red carpet for their illustrious visitors, with extra bar facilities provided, catering to the large travelling support from Belfast.

Now everything is under water, as you can see from the pics, after the nearby River Derg burst its banks.

The club now faces an anxious wait to understand the full extent of the damage.

The pitch which benefitted from heavy investment last summer was left under a metre of water, the clubhouse currently under refurbishment, fortunately avoided the flooding. A new grass training pitch, which hasn’t yet been used fared worst of all and was submerged under 2 metres of water.

The club’s next three games are scheduled for Darragh Park, including a Championship fixture with Ards on Friday evening. But it seems, unlike Montreal’s 24-hr delay, it’ll be a few weeks before Dergview FC host another home game.

The Big ‘O’? Well, it’s game-on tonight. Maybe sometimes we all should be grateful for small mercies...