Last night's (Tuesday's) local soccer programme suffered a familiar watery grave as the wettest winter of all time continued to create havoc with football surfaces.

Billericay Town, Canvey Island, Great Wakering Rovers and Bowers United all had matches washed out due to waterlogged pitches.

Biggest casualty, for the second successive Tuesday, was Ryman League Premier Division Billericay Town's FA Umbro Trophy second round replay visit to Dr Martens League Eastern Division Hastings.

Last week Town got all the way to the Sussex home of their opponents - only to learn that the match referee had ordered a KO - but yesterday a local official was called in to confirm everyone's worst fears in the early afternoon.

Billericay are now scheduled to make the trip next Tuesday with the eventual winners playing another Sussex side, Ryman Division One Bognor Regis, away in round three. On Saturday Billericay visit Maidenhead in the League.

It was the same sad story for Canvey, keen to get back into early action following Sunday's FA Cup demise at Roots Hall.

They were due to start the defence of the Essex Senior Cup they've won for each of the last two years with a delayed home tie against Schweppes Essex Senior League Barkingside.

However, with rain lashing down, hopes of play were abandoned early afternoon and Gulls' fans will now get their first chance of welcoming their FA Cup heroes on Saturday afternoon when in-form St Albans, managed by ex Billericay Town boss John Kendall, come to the Island for a League game.

Another attempt at staging the Barkingside game will be made next Tuesday.

Great Wakering Rovers lost their first home match of the season to the weather when their East Anglian Cup tie with Harwich and Parkestone at Burroughs Park was called off.

It was second time unlucky for Senior League Bowers United. Their FA Carlsberg Vase bid for a last 32 place at Surrey club Westfield was given the thumbs down on Saturday and suffered the same fate last night.

The two teams will try again at Combined Counties League Westfield's Woking home on Saturday with the eventual winners going to previous holders Arlesey, currently storming away with the leadership of the Ryman League Third Division in their first season in the competition, next month.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.