Gall laments no show “disgrace”

The Sussex County Football League Division One match was postponed little more than two hours before kick-off and has been recorded as ‘Shoreham unable to raise a team’.

Gall said: “I’m disappointed with the way it was dealt with and left so late. We could’ve swallowed it a bit better in the morning, but the fact that it was left until half five was a disgrace really. People have put in a lot of effort to get the game on.

“They forget all the players leave work early from all over the south east of England to get to a game. It’s not really acceptable for the level of football we’re playing at. We’ve had to go to Pagham midweek with 12 players. Sometimes you get in a situation and you have to deal with it, but they haven’t.”

Shoreham manager Bryan O’Toole has said a “misinterpretation” between the two clubs’ secretaries was the reason the game didn’t go ahead. O’Toole said he had 14 players on their way to Rye, but the problem was the players getting to the ground by kick-off.

“I felt sorry for the lad really,” continued Gall, who is adamant Rye should be awarded the points. “He rang me about half five and said ‘I don’t know what to do; I’ve not got enough players. There’s no point me coming all the way to Rye. I’m struggling big time, what shall I do’?

“I said ‘I’ll speak to my chairman and see if we can come up with some amicable agreement. I will try’. While I was on the phone to him I got a text from our secretary saying ‘game off - will explain later’. I rang up Clive (Taylor, Rye’s chairman) and he said ‘they can’t get a side out’. Their secretary jumped the gun by ringing up and saying ‘we can’t get a team together’.”

Shoreham did make it to The Salts on Tuesday October 15 only for the match to be abandoned after 10 minutes due to a floodlight failure.