For the second weekend running, Stowmarket Town have had a match called off due to Covid-19 concerns.

Stow’s scheduled mouth-watering Thurlow Nunn Premier clash at rivals Wroxham tomorrow afternoon, the current league leaders, has been postponed due to a Whitton United player testing positive for the virus.

Rick Andrews’ men played at Whitton United on Tuesday night, thrashing their hosts 10-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Suffolk Premier Cup, but the repercussions of that match mean Stow once again have a blank weekend,

The previous Saturday, Stow’s planned league match against Ely City was called off, due to two members of the Ely squad needing to have tests after showing symptoms of Covid-19.

And the previous week, Stow’s league match at Woodbridge Town was abandoned after the referee fell ill, meaning that the Greens Meadow club have still only played four league matches this season.

Whitton United were due to be in FA Vase action tomorrow afternoon, against White Ensign. That match has been postponed until the following Saturday, October 17.

Stow’s experiences are the most recent of what has been a stop-start campaign for so many local non-league clubs, due to Covid-19 conerns.

For example, fellow Thurlow Nunn Premier outfit Walsham le Willows were severely affected due to one of their squad members testing positive for the virus before the start of the campaign.

As a result, they were forced to forfeit their FA Cup extra preliminary round tie at Suffolk rivals Newmarket Town, with the Jockeys therefore awarded the victory.

Walsham’s first league match of the season, at Godmanchester Rovers, was postponed for the same reason.

Also in the FA Cup, at the extra preliminary round stage, AFC Sudbury were effectively handed a bye when their planned trip to Burton Park Wanderers was cancelled due to a home player testing positive. The Northamptonshire club had been eagerly anticipating what would have been their debut in the FA Cup, with the BBC TV cameras also set to be there to cover the match on the website and on the red button.