A NON-LEAGUE football club has lost a substantial amount of cash after a stand at their stadium was torn down.
Sittingbourne are in the Isthmian South East Division play-off places and gunning for promotion having narrowly missed out last season.
But the Kent-based side have suffered a serious blow after a stand next to the Staxson Stadium dugouts was dismantled due to a third party supplier not being paid for materials.
And Sittingbourne have revealed the payment row has left them with a financial predicament.
A club statement read: “Sittingbourne Football Club can confirm that we no longer have the Bourne to Win scaffold stand, located to the left of the pitch.
“The club can confirm that we paid for an additional stand in good faith, unaware that a third party supplier had not been paid for materials relating to its construction.
“Sittingbourne Football Club has no contractual relationship with this third party and was not made aware of their involvement at any stage.
“As a result, the club has incurred the full cost of the stand but has now had it dismantled by the third party due to him not receiving payment, leaving the club significantly out of pocket.
“The club are currently reviewing the situation and will consider its next steps.”
Sittingbourne are assessing their options after forking out for the scaffold-based structure.
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The Brickies had former Liverpool talent Jordon Ibe on their books earlier in the campaign.
But the winger’s stay at the Staxson Stadium only lasted three games in the space of EIGHT DAYS.
Ibe, 30, ended up heading through the exit door to join Bulgarian top-flight side Lokomotiv Sofia.
Sittingbourne only missed out on promotion to the seventh tier of English football thanks to a penalty shoot-out defeat in the play-off final last season.
They also shattered a club record by reaching the FA Trophy quarter-finals before losing to National League side Aldershot.
And the Brickies, under boss Reece Prestedge, are now 18 points adrift of table-topping Three Bridges.
