A ROW has broken out between Dorchester and their Dr Martens Eastern Division promotion rivals Salisbury after the Wiltshire club allegedly blocked the Magpies chances of having a game on Saturday, writes David Swain.

Dr Martens League secretary Dennis Strudwick had suggested a series of fixture changes that would have allowed the Magpies to play at Ashford this Saturday instead of being fixture-less. The changes would also have seen them making the 300-mile plus round trip to Histon in Cambridgeshire on a Saturday instead of mid-week.

But while Ashford and Tonbridge - the other clubs involved in the fixture switch - both agreed to Mr Strudwick's solution, league leaders Salisbury vetoed the idea.

Attitude

"I can only think it was gamesmanship towards a competitor at the top of the league," said Magpies secretary David Martin. "Mr Strudwick had been particularly helpful in coming up with a solution to help us avoid a free Saturday and save money and inconvenience by having to go all the way to Histon mid-week and Salisbury's attitude was particularly disappointing after all the help we and the league gave them over the summer when they nearly went out of business.

"The league bent over backwards to keep them going and I personally helped an official from Salisbury who phoned me for assistance with an FA grant form. Our general manager Keith Kellaway also spent half a day showing someone from Salisbury how we run our Superloot Lottery in order to help them set up a similar fund-raising scheme.

"I have twice swopped fixtures to help other clubs, including a change this season to enable Spalding to come here on a Saturday instead of a Tuesday evening and I can't understand Salisbury being so unco-operative over this."

On Saturday the Magpies were originally due to play at home to Eastbourne Borough who are now involved in the FA Trophy.

Magpies boss Mark Morris had hoped to arrange a friendly at home against Ryman Premier League side Ford United. But that fell through because the Magpies were unable to confirm it until they knew when the Dorset FA wanted them to play their Dorset Senior Cup quarter-final against Hamworthy United, which was called off on Tuesday because of a frozen pitch.

That game has now been arranged for next Tuesday night, but in the meantime Ford had fixed a game elsewhere.

Other dates for Dorchester's re-arranged games are:

Dr Martens Eastern Division

Tues, Feb 11, Newport IoW (away)

Tues, Feb 18, Fleet (away)

Tues, March 11, Histon (away)

Tues, April 1, Eastbourne Borough (home).

Elite Teamwear Dorset Premier League

Wed, Jan 22, Cobham Sports (home).

Bridport's Dorset Senior Cup Quarter-final tie at home to Swanage & Herston has been

re-arranged for next Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm.