GRAVESEND & Northfleet's Nationwide Conference fixture at Shrewsbury on Saturday was called off after high winds caused damage to the stadium.

Referee Glenn Turner postponed the game at 1pm to protect players and spectators after seeing how the winds had blown down the clock at Gay Meadow and caused damage to the wall in the family stand.

He said: “My primary concern in every game of football is the safety of my colleagues, the players, the management but most importantly the paying public.

“There was no way with the conditions that I could guarantee the safety of any of those people, so I had to make the awful decision that no referee likes making and call the game off.”

Gravesend will return to league action with a home game against Tamworth on Saturday.