Six-foot deep hole causes derby to be abandoned

SATURDAY’S local derby between East Preston and Littlehampton was brought to a premature end at The Lashmar on Saturday - by a six-foot deep hole in the pitch.
The hole which caused Saturday's game to be abadoned.The hole which caused Saturday's game to be abadoned.
The hole which caused Saturday's game to be abadoned.

The County League Division 1 game was just 15 minutes old when referee John Walker had to call the game off, as the foot-wide hole emerged just outside one of the penalty areas, after a manhole cover was dislodged.

EP boss Sammy Donnelly said: “It’s something that I have never seen in all my time in football. I am just pleased that someone managed to spot it without anybody getting hurt because that could have caused one of the players a real problem.”

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Golds manager Mark Bennett added: “I’m not sure what to say, really. It is something that I have never seen before and probably will never see again.”

Referee Walker said: “I was left with no other alternative than to call the match off.

“It was such a strange one and something which I have never seen. It was brought to my attention during the game and I came to the decision to abandon the game.

“I must admit when somebody said that there was a hole in the pitch, I was not expecting to see what I did. It was quite extraordinary.”

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