Broadwater Saints' chances of at last playing some football fell down a big black hole. A four cubic foot hole at Sompting Recreation Ground to be precise.

Referee Chris Porter had to postpone the Worthing and District League Division One match between Broadwater and Sompting Reserves when what first appeared to be a small hole in the centre circle suddenly became something a lot bigger.

Saints manager Danny Barker, whose team have only played two matches in the last 11 weeks, said he has never seen anything quite as strange.

He said: "We were ready for kick-off when one of the lads noticed there was a divot in the pitch. The referee spotted it was a small hole and asked one of the Sompting players to fill it in.

"But then the referee put his foot on it and he discovered the hole was a lot bigger."

Chris takes up the story: "My foot slipped into the mud, which gave way, and it came up to my ankle. Then some of the players started kicking at the sides and it got about four-foot wide.

"Someone got a corner flag and poked it into the hole. All you could see was darkness. We had no idea how deep it was. But it went to about four foot on the corner flag. Who knows, it might be even deeper.

"I had no alternative, but to call the match off. I'm just glad it was spotted before we started because someone might have fallen into it during the match."

Adur Council, responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the ground, were alerted and the hole was immediately cordoned off. Diggers have since moved into locate the bottom of the hole. No-one yet has been able to explain how it was caused.

Joint-boss Chris Bloomfield jested: "I think we should've just cordoned off the hole and went ahead with the match. We don't use our midfield anyway."

It was ironic that in a day where all the league's other scheduled matches went ahead, Broadwater should miss out on at last catching up with their games.

Saints have played only four Division Three matches and league secretary Laurie Claydon admitted: "It's rough on them. They're the team who have played the least games."

Chris has only postponed two matches in his five years as an official and during his whole football career as both player and referee he has never seen anything quite as extraordinary.

The discovery at Sompting comes only a week after holes were found at Worthing United's Lyons Way.