Sheppey United will be hoping it’s third time lucky as they prepare for another trip to Horndean.

The match at the Hampshire club’s Five Heads Park ground has twice been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, the second of which was called off less than an hour until kick-off.

With rain forecast again leading up to Thursday night’s rearranged fixture, Sheppey have written to the league requesting an early decision if the pitch isn’t likely to be playable, after a wasted journey last time out.

Assistant boss Geoff Record said: “We felt very strongly about the last one as we felt that was playable - only just - but it was playable and we had a young referee who unfortunately wouldn’t listen to our opinion.

“We wanted it on, they wanted it on, we tried to talk him into giving it a go but he wouldn’t have it, that was very disappointing.

“The first time it got called off on a Saturday we were all on the coach and had just got to the other side of Maidstone at a pick-up point and had a call to say it was off and then the second one (on a Tuesday night) we were all at the ground and it was gone seven o’clock when it was called off.

“There must have been over 200 years of non-league semi-pro football experience among about eight people standing around the ref and if he had five years’ experience in football I would be shocked and he ignored all of us!

“It had rained hard as we got there, I am not saying it wasn’t wet, but it was no worse than when we played at Hythe in January. We felt strongly we could have started and finished that game but we got nowhere with that.

“We know the era is different and rules have changed and the referee was quoting health and safety to us, explaining some technical aspects, but I shudder to think of the individual costs to a lot of the lads on the day.

“Myself and Ernie left before 4pm and other lads had to make arrangements to get out of work, scattered around the place, it took us two hours and 40 minutes to get there. We have written to the league to ask for an early decision taken to stop everyone leaving work, then that would be fine, as it’s scheduled to rain. As a club we’ve asked the league and Horndean to get on it as early as they can.”

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