FLACKWELL Heath Football Club are set to become the first team in the country to benefit from the Ryman League's plans to take home advantage away from club's with dodgy pitches.

League bosses are so desperate to catch up with the fixture backlog and finish the season on time that they decided this week that clubs with unplayable pitches would be allowed to surrender home advantage if they agreed.

And third division Flackwell will benefit immediately.

Saturday's opponents Egham have agreed to switch the match to Flackwell because their own pitch is in a terrible state and there was little chance of the game taking place there.

Heathens chairman Geoff Turner said: "It is a big bonus for us because our home record is good. We have only lost once here all season."

Turner says that, even though some of Flackwell's promotion rivals won't like it, it is an advantage his club deserves.

He said: "It is a reward for hard work. We have invested in our pitch when a lot of other teams haven't bothered. You should see some of the places we have to go to.

"It would be more unfair to extend the season because teams with nothing to play for would be putting out reserve and youth players."