POSTPONEMENTS in non-league football are not uncommon.
But having a game postponed due to travellers taking over a pitch is a new one for most involved in football.
However, that is exactly what happened to Lingfield Football Club on Saturday, whose Sussex County League Division One fixture at Shoreham was postponed due to an encampment of travellers at the club's Middle Road ground.
A large contingent of about 50 caravans set up camp outside the ground last Thursday, with the club forced to postpone the match against Dixie Dean's side after informing the league of the situation on Thursday night.
And former professional footballer Jamie Lawrence, who now plays for Lingfield, tweeted his amazement at the situation.
He wrote on Twitter: "All my years playing football and this postponement I've never had. Travellers take over pitch."
Shoreham admitted on the club's Twitter feed that they were "very angry and nervous" about the situation, but said there was not much they could do about it.
The travellers were eventually moved on after the MP for East Worthing & Shoreham, Tim Loughton intervened, with police assisting to remove the travellers from the site on Friday.
But the match had already been postponed by then, much to the frustration of Lingfield manager Dean.
He said: "There wasn't much you could do about it with travellers on the pitch.
"But it means we will probably have to go down there on a Tuesday night now."
No new date has yet been set for the fixture.