East Sussex League
Premier Division
Saturday 3rd November 2018
Kick Off 14.00. On Time !
Rye Town 1 Sidley United 4, attendance 44
6’ 0-1
24’ 1-1
38’ 1-2
60’ 1-3 (pen)
63’ 1-4 (pen)
@ Rye Rugby Union Football Club
New Road
Rye
TN31 7LS
No Admission or Programme.
Having visited Rye United back on 7th October 2008, I never expected to return to the town to see another match. The game that day was played at The Salts, in Fishmarket Road, which is also home to the local Cricket Club, where they beat Bexhill United 2-1 in a Sussex County League, Division 2 match. The club withdrew from the league on 20th March 2014 with immediate effect.
Football returned to the town for the 2016/17 season, when the newly formed Rye Town joined the East Sussex League, also playing at The Salts. However, this season they have moved half a mile out of town, playing on a pitch at Rye Rugby Club, which according to people connected with the home club is for the entire season, although they would like to make it a permanent move.
Today’s match was 6th versus 4th in the league table and it seemed to be a real grudge match. Sidley opened the scoring early on, but Rye headed in an equaliser from a corner. Sidley regained the lead before the break, then scored twice from the penalty spot around the hour mark to sew the game up. Rye had a player sin binned after 70 minutes, but he was only off the pitch for seven minutes, rather than the stipulated ten.
Below photo : The Salts, now minus the floodlights from the Sussex County League days.