An eighth-tier football match scheduled for this weekend was postponed after one team had four players called up for international duty.
Lancing, a club based in West Sussex, was set to compete against Three Bridges in the South East Division of the Isthmian League on Saturday. However, they had to request a postponement after four of their players were selected by their national teams.
Charlie Gibson and Sam Bull are currently in Croatia, representing England in the six-a-side team at the World Minifootball Federation (WMF) U23 World Cup. Meanwhile, midfielder Knory Scott and forward Luke Robinson will be 3,500 miles away, playing for Bermuda in their Concacaf Nations League match against Dominica.
While Premier League and Championship clubs automatically have their fixtures rearranged during international breaks, lower-tier clubs can request a postponement if they receive three international call-ups.
“It’s ridiculous for a club at this level,” Lancing chairman Barry Sutton told BBC Sport. “Having one player called up [Scott, last year] was something we celebrated, but having four in the same week is unprecedented.”
Scott, who joined Lancing from Hastings last summer, made history as the club’s first player to earn a full international cap while with the team. He is now joined in the record books by Robinson, a former Brighton academy player who came to Lancing from Whitehawk this summer.
“Knory is a lovely lad—quiet. You couldn’t meet a nicer guy,” Sutton said. “Luke has played for many clubs at a higher level. We are incredibly proud to have international players on our team, and we hang up a Bermuda flag behind one of the goals during home games.”
Lancing currently sits 20th in the league, having accumulated four points from their first eight matches. The club is competing at its highest level in history since its establishment in 1941.