Calling off home games will cost Bognor close to £10,000

They suffered their third Saturday home postponement of the season last Saturday when they had to call off their Isthmian premier clash with Bowers and Pitsea.

It’s yet another game to switch to a Tuesday night and manager Jack Pearce said it was a big financial blow.

He said the loss of three Saturday home games would cost the club close to £10,000 in lost revenue.

“It causes a lot of disruption because you still have to do all the work to prepare for the games, and then when it’s off you get no money coming into the club,” he said.

“It doesn’t leave us in a very good financial state. And of course the players still have to be paid.” The latest call-off means Bognor are now in a run of five straight away league games, another factor that doesn’t help their cause.

They look to build on last Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Lewes with further success at Merstham on Saturday and Horsham next Tuesday.

Pearce said: “Merstham are fighting for their lives so they will be tough, and so will Horsham, who have only just slipped out of the top five.”

Midfielder gives Rocks squad a boostMeanwhile, Pearce and Robbie Blake have selection dilemmas as they try to snaffle a play-off place.

They can add new signing Kristian Campbell plus fit-again midfielder and defender Jake Flannigan and Joe Cook to the squad on duty in the win at Lewes.

With Pompey youngsters like Harry Kavanagh, Brad Lethbridge and Matt Casey still available, not everyone will feature. Also still available is skipper Harvey Whyte, whose four-match ban for a red card received against Brighton in the Sussex Senior Cup applies only in that competition.

Pearce said: “It looks like we have some headaches about who plays and who doesn’t, which is good. You simply have to have competition for places.”