Rye pitch under water

All the recent rain has been added to by water running onto the playing surface from a Southern Water pumping station in the corner of The Salts.

Rye chairman Clive Taylor said: “We’ve got a big problem. The pumping station at the far end of the car park is not coping with the amount of rain water that’s coming through. It’s got nowhere to go down the mains so it’s going onto the pitch.

“Originally I thought it was a burst pipe, but I’ve had people down there from Southern Water and they said it’s not a mains water issue, just a drainage issue. They’ve said there’s nothing they can do until the weather subsides.

“The whole left-hand side of the pitch is under water and that corner never floods. I don’t know what they’re going to do about it, but being holiday time, it’s difficult to get hold of anyone in authority.”

Taylor first discovered the problem on Thursday, last week, when he visited the ground “to do the bar pumps” and the scheduled visit from Hailsham Town in Sussex County Football League Division One on Saturday was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

With yet more rain forecast for tomorrow (Friday) and the weekend, the game at home to Newhaven on Saturday must be in serious doubt. Return to this website for further news.

See tomorrow’s Rye Observer for the full article.