Guernsey FC director Nic Legg says recent postponements are causing a 'reputational problem'

A former groundsman at Footes Lane said the drainage system was 'past its expiry date'

Guernsey FC's reputation is being tarnished by continued postponements at their Footes Lane home, says a director of the club.

The Green Lions' Isthmian League South Central game with Southall on Saturday has been called off because of a waterlogged pitch - their fourth successive home game to be postponed.

It is claimed the drainage system at the ground is 'past its expiry date'.

The postponements have also cost the club thousands in extra travel costs.

"It's becoming a reputational problem for the football club in terms of getting football clubs to plan to come to Guernsey, their players taking time off work, and then having to cancel games at short notice," Nic Legg told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"It's something we really don't want to have to continue doing."

'It's costing us thousands'

Guernsey FC are 17th in the 21-team Isthmian League South Central - 14 points above the relegation zone with 12 games to go

Guernsey are responsible for paying for the travel costs for teams coming over to play, as well as accommodation for midweek matches that take place after the island's airport has closed.

The short-notice nature of the postponements means the club not only loses vital matchday revenue, but also has to pay more for teams to come over.

"Every time we cancel a Saturday game and we move it to a Wednesday you're adding over £3,000 worth of extra costs because you've got things like overnight stays to factor in which you don't have on a Saturday because it's a day return," Legg added.

"But we've also got costs to factor in from the airline in terms of moving flights to a new date.

"The ultimate kick in the teeth is if we get a team here, like we did for Raynes Park Vale, the game was called off due to the state of the pitch, we had to return them here and then have to put them up, so that then becomes a £10,000-plus game because you're having to fly them over twice because we have to pay, including the officials, for 30 people to fly over to every game.

"In terms of expenditure it's costing us thousands and thousands and thousands on a weekly basis now, and this has been going on for nearly a month now."

The other problem it creates is a backlog of fixtures for Guernsey FC - they can only use Footes Lane at the weekends when the local rugby club do not have a home game or on a Wednesday evening.

The club already has three midweek games in March and April pencilled in as they try and make up the postponed games, and have few free dates left.

"This is really the last postponement we can have because we're running out of dates," Legg added.

"If we do have any more we're getting to a situation where we might be looking at playing Saturday and Sunday or playing twice on a Saturday, which obviously is not really sustainable.

"But we'll do what we have to do. We won't moan about it. We'll pull our socks up and work as hard as we can."