THE Football Conference has extended a helping hand to both Weymouth and Dorchester Town as the big freeze continues to claim matches up and down the country.

With no games played at the weekend by any of the 68 member clubs of the Conference, the association’s board has released money earlier than it was due to help all clubs through the fixture-barren period. And that includes both the Terras and Magpies.

Weymouth, whose last outing was the New Year’s Day triumph over Dorchester, saw Saturday’s trip to Welling fall victim to the adverse weather while the Magpies’ encounter with Thurrock was postponed due to a frozen Jewson Stadium pitch.

Match-day income is vital to all clubs, which is why the Conference felt the need to act.

Chairman Brian Lee said: “It might be a small gesture but we have to do all we can during this spell of bad weather to ease the burden.

“Any extra income from any source can only be of benefit and while the clubs would have been getting another share from central funding shortly, it was deemed a sensible action for the board to take by releasing that element of funding now.”

Dorchester are due to travel to St Albans on Saturday for their next Blue Square South fixture while at the same time Weymouth are set to welcome Chelmsford City to the Wessex Stadium.