Sittingbourne’s first game at their new Woodstock Park home is set to be delayed – by a wedding.

Brickies requested an away game to start the new Ryman League season on August 10 as there is a wedding booked at Woodstock.

But they were handed a home match against either Three Bridges (Division 1 South) or AFC Sudbury (Division 1 North), depending what division they end up playing in.

Bourne are seeking permission to move the date of the game but it could yet be played on the scheduled day at Whitstable’s Belmont ground as Woodstock is not yet graded for Ryman League football. Inspectors are due at the ground on August 6 – just four days before the start of the season.

Ryman League company secretary Nick Robinson said: “We have a board meeting on Thursday when the matter will be discussed. We may be able to make an announcement after that.”

Sittingbourne chairman Maurice Dunk hopes the club will be able to move the fixture date rather than play at Whitstable, where they have a groundshare agreement should Woodstock fail their grading.

Mr Dunk said: “We told the league we couldn’t do August 10 because of a function and you can’t cancel someone’s wedding. I don’t see why we can’t move it to another date.

“A lot of people have worked so hard to get Woodstock ready. Two inspectors working from the same sheet of paper can see things differently. Anything we’re pulled up on we hope we can put right before the start of the season."