The Pitching In Isthmian Football League

Cannons suffering pitch calamities

30 Jan 2024 By Ian Townsend

Hythe Town release a frank statement explaining that 'the pitch resembles a mud bath'- and outline the considerable and expensive steps being taken to fix it

Pitching In Isthmian South East side Hythe Town are suffering with significant fixture congestion which they hope won't hamper their promotion hopes- and whilst much of this is down to their successful FA Trophy run, a number of postponements haven't helped. The Cannons have taken the decision to be brutally honest about their pitch difficulties, and have released the following statement:

'It has not gone unnoticed within the football world, and especially here in Kent, that this season we have struggled with postponements, and that, coupled with our extended FA Trophy run, leaves us with football on Tuesday and Saturday way into March- not something we had planned for nor in honesty do we want. However, we currently find ourselves with five or even six games in hand of the clubs around us.

Despite the very best of endeavours of our loyal and hardworking ground staff, with limited machinery, and for whom it must be soul destroying dedicating many hours of work on the pitch only for the fixtures to be postponed, the Club recognised and appointed professional ground contractors with all the machinery in early December to undertake the much overdue and necessary groundwork.

It was a failure of the Club that in previous seasons there has been a significant lack of Investment in the playing surface and Ground Infrastructure; something we plan to change going forward.

We are pleased to have appointed a leading Sports Ground Contractors, Jordans Sports Ground Solutions Ltd to work with us and lead the necessary works. However, despite appointing them in December, the weather has been so inclement that even they have been unable to undertake all that they wished to do. The ground is so soft that the necessary machinery cannot get onto the playing surface on as regular basis as planned.

On a positive note, in mid-January with the ground reasonably hard, they did manage to Verti drain the entire surface.

After all the rain of this winter season, and last Tuesday’s Kent Senior Cup fixture, the pitch resembles a mud bath! The water table remains high, the atmospheric and current humidity levels mean the pitch is not repairing- nor indeed are we able to currently undertake any of the immediate works required.

All of this impacts the Club, Manager and Players- not to mention the inconvenience created to you, the supporter. Please let me make this clear to any opposition, we want our games on! We, like your club, need the match day revenue- and we like playing competitive football every week!'

The Cannons scheduled match against Herne Bay this evening has been postponed following an early inspection.

More here.

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.