FA Cup entices Sidley boss

The Blues' Sussex Division One rivals Rye & Iden United made their bow in the competition last weekend despite enduring the same ground sharing constraints.

Had they won their preliminary round tie against East Preston they would have earned 1,000 and any subsequent success would have garnered even greater financial reward.

Laskey said: "I can't see any reason why we can't (enter) to be honest. I can't see any difference between our facilities at all (in comparison with those at Rye & Iden). The club has discussed it and I think the only reason (why we haven't entered previously) is that they (the club's committee) thought perhaps our facilities might let us down."

Sidley's unavailability crisis looks like easing ahead of their trip to Redhill on Saturday September 11 and visit to Whitehawk in their re-arranged SCFA RUR Charity Cup first round tie on Tuesday evening. Steve Morris and Jordan Wood will be available for the latter as will the previously suspended Jimmy Watson. Dave Ward and Owen Ball will return tomorrow.

But tomorrow's match will be the last, for the time being at least, for the outlandish and popular Rob Wiley because the goalkeeper is about to embark on a stint of travelling around Europe and, of all places, the Venezuelan Jungle after a brief Christmas time return. Laskey commented: "He's done a superb job and in some ways his only fault as a goalkeeper is that he's too nice!"

Bexhill United badly need three points from their visit to troubled Lingfield on Saturday. The Surrey club have recently lost their manager and around 15 players to Haywards Heath Town and their reserves have withdrawn from Reserve Section East. Richard Anderson and Steve Mote return.