Northern Counties East League club Pickering Town were hit for six last night - without even playing.

Their FA Carlsberg Vase second round match at Marske United was called off for an astonishing sixth time due to an unfit pitch, just 12 days before the scheduled third round.

The tie - which was first postponed on November 11 - has now been rearranged for tomorrow night but whether the pitch will be ready in time is not known.

Jimmy Reid's men were again set to travel when the call came in at 4.30 to say the pitch had failed yet another inspection.

Reid said: "It's getting horrendous. It doesn't matter what time they cry it off - we've still got to prepare with players coming from all over Yorkshire to get ready to travel.

"There's only a certain number of times people can get off work even if it's only for the hour or so needed to get ready to go. They've got to swap shifts, work nights, leave work early, and to ask to do that so many times is not easy."

The Pikes had already contacted the Football Association to ask if the game could be switched to their Recreation Ground, and they were set to speak to the FA again today.

"We could have played the match at Pickering five of the six occasions they've called it off, but now we've got to prepare to go up there for the seventh time," added Reid.

It's no better for Pickering's Under 19 side whose Northern Youth Alliance Cup tie against Eccleshill at the Recreation Ground was called off for a sixth time.

They are hoping to get the game played tomorrow at 7.30pm but it is subject to a pitch inspection.

Pickering U19s from: Quinn, Bulmer, Ball, Farthing, Brown, Garnham, Collins, Gaughan, Turner, Moorhouse, Willoughby, Anderson, Pringle, Jones, O'Reilly. Players meet at ground 6.30pm tomorrow. Contact manager Gary Farthing on 01904 330755 or 07946 608832.