The damaged floodlight at AFC Emley
AFC Emley will have to wait at least six weeks for their new floodlight, forcing early kick offs for their next five Toolstation NCEL Division One fixtures.
All five games are scheduled to be played at the Welfare Ground as their next away game is at the end of February.
The floodlight behind the home dugout at the Welfare Ground collapsed during the high winds last week forcing the postponement of the visit of Grimsby Borough.
League leaders Emley, who drew 2-2 at Bottesford Town today, are covered by insurance for the floodlight, but it will take six weeks for the new column to be manufactured.
Emley face a potentially crunch two weeks with home games against fellow promotion-chasers Clipstone and Hemsworth Miners Welfare coming up.
The visit of Clipstone next week has already been confirmed as a 2pm kick off.
An Emley statement said: “We’ve been in discussions with the NCEL to find a solution to this short term problem.
“With their permission we have approached all the teams we are hosting in the rest of January and all of February to request a 2pm kick off (or 2.30pm in later weeks).
“As we still have four working floodlights, one in each corner of the ground, the earlier start would off-set the loss of the central light and mitigate the risks of being unable to complete a game that kicks off at 3pm.
“It is testament to the spirit that exists between the clubs in the NCEL that, within 24 hours of receiving our request, three of our next five opponents have already agreed without hesitation to an earlier kick off.
“We are incredibly grateful to them for their co-operation.
“AFC Emley place on record our thanks to David Morrall and Ian Cox of the NCEL as well as the officials and management of Clipstone FC and the other clubs concerned.”
Emley have also suffered two more blows with key player Max Leonard set to miss at least two weeks because of a chipped bone in his foot.
Leonard missed the goal-less draw at Pontefract Collieries and the Bottesford stalemate along with Doran Jordan, who has a knee problem.
Darren Hepworth does hope to add a new player to his squad on Monday.
The seven days’ notice period will finish on the same day and Hepworth believes the un-named player will add quality to his side.