A Mid Kent Sunday League football match had to be called off yesterday after one of the sides had their kit stolen.

Snodland FC were due to meet Sands United Kent FC, a charity team for men affected by baby loss, based in Kings Hill.

But the Sands team were left reeling after match and training equipment such as balls, bibs, linesmen's flags, first aid box and spare kit was stolen from the assistant manager’s car overnight.

Mike Pollard, the Sands Kent manager said: "On Saturday evening we played a charity match against the Sands Brighton team in Brighton.

"The next morning we were due to play Snodland at their ground, but my deputy's car was broken into outside his home in Orpington and everything stolen."

He added: "This was an important fixture for us - with this week being Baby Loss Awareness Week - and we had all the families coming along to support the dads play.

"These sort of moments are something we all look forward to and it’s pretty sad that this had to be postponed.

"The kit and equipment itself is something that we rely upon on match-days as a league requirement, but we are thankful that the league and other teams around us have kindly made donations to help us replace it.

"The bags were obviously taken without knowledge of the contents as they are no use to anyone but ourselves, so this makes it even more sad that they have probably been thrown away somewhere without care."

The men in the Sands team are all united by the loss of a child.

Their home ground is at Beacon Avenue in Kings Hill.

Mr Pollard said: “The footballing world around us has been so kind in support and I cannot thank them enough.

"We will not let the thieves defeat us and we will be back on the pitch, even more determined than before!”

Anyone able to help the team can donate here.

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