Fans can watch live football at Lordswood tonight in exchange for three items of food.

The Southern Counties East side are collecting for the Medway Foodbank and spectators can watch their game against Bearsted tonight (Tuesday) for free, in exchange for a donation at the turnstile.

Club chairman Glen Parkes hopes the initiative works both ways as he looks to welcome back some of their own fans too.

He said: “We decided to do it when we heard that some of our fans who would usually come to games on a regular basis started not turning up, we were wondering why. They said they couldn’t afford it because of the cost of coming to a game, buying food and other things. We thought it would be a great idea to help out Medway Foodbank and also to get fans to come back and enjoy a game of football, with a few items of food they can donate.

“I went to the committee, they all agreed and thought it was a good idea, so we went for it, it was a spur of the moment thing.

“We have been really lucky, Bearsted Football Club who we are playing have said what a cracking idea, the first team players and the management have all agreed to donate £10 each, so to start off we have £150 going into a pot where we can go and buy food with and I have had committee members who are bringing bags of food.

“People have been really interested in it. We are trying to pull together and do what we can. We have asked for a minimum of three items, there is a list people can see, if just 10 people bring three items then that is probably enough to feed three families.”

It will mean the club losing revenue, as they will still have costs to stage the match, but the chairman said: “We will work around it, that is not the be all and end all, we are not the biggest of clubs financially in the area, others have bigger budgets and more money coming in, but we are a little community club trying to do our bit.”

The club have asked that food is tinned/dried, unopened, in date and in good condition. Non-food items have also been requested such as washing-up liquid, toiletries and cleaning products.

Lordswood will be looking to build on Saturday’s 3-1 SCEFL Premier Division win at Stansfeld, coming thanks to goals from Junior Baker, Nat Murray and Victor Aiyelabola.

The Medway Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by the Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. A minimum of three items has been requested to be admitted into the ground.

There will be a minute's applause before kick off at Lordswood in memory of John Goodwin, the club's former matchday manager, who sadly passed away on Sunday.

Kick-off at Martyn Grove, off North Dane Way, is at 7.45pm.