Westbury United manager Paul Brickley has criticised league rivals Gillingham Town for their last-minute postponement of Tuesday’s game between the two sides.
Their opponents made the phone call less than two hours before the match was scheduled to kick off, with players and management all set to leave their Wiltshire base.
“They let us know at 5.40pm when we were all ready to travel,” said Brickey.
“They said the pitch was waterlogged but there was no rain in Westbury which is why I wasn’t happy.
“I assumed the game was going ahead in the day and two lads had travelled from London to play and another from Torquay so it’s frustrating for them too.
“It’s just common courtesy really. If one of our home games is in any doubt at all then I always let the other side know around lunchtime so they can make preparations.”
Brickley’s anger in part was that his side were not given the chance to carry on their recent good form after Saturday’s 3-1 beating of Hengrove Athletic.
A brace from flamboyant striker Wayne Wheeler and an opener from Dan Kovacs guided Westbury to their fourth undefeated league game in a row.
However the match was marred by a brutal assault on Wheeler moments after he made the scoreline 2-1 in the second half.
The forward celebrated the strike with his trademark triple somersault, which a visiting defender took offence to and was sent off for head-butting him.
“Wayne has done that celebration throughout his career,” said Brickley.
“He wasn’t showing off but their player just lost it.”
Westbury travel to Almondsbury on Saturday.
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