Tonbridge Angels manager Jay Saunders on Maidstone cancellation, their weekend in Yorkshire and returning to Margate

Jay Saunders has revealed it was Tonbridge chairman Dave Netherstreet who first raised concerns about their friendly at Maidstone going ahead.

Tuesday night’s game at the Gallagher Stadium was cancelled on safety grounds with the UK in the grip of a heatwave which saw temperatures in the county town hit just shy of 40 degrees.

It was a first for Saunders but he was in full agreement with Netherstreet, after they discussed the situation on Sunday morning while on their club trip in Yorkshire.

Saunders, whose side won 3-0 at Farsley Celtic, spoke to Stones chief executive Bill Williams and manager Hakan Hayrettin and the game was called off on Monday morning.

“To be honest, it was the chairman who first mentioned it over breakfast on Sunday, after he’d seen the weather forecast, and we spoke about it on the way back,” said Saunders.

“It was a first for me, I’ve not been involved in calling off a game because of the heat, so it was kind of different but I understood his reasons.

“There was talk of moving it to Thursday but I had a few unavailable, so I couldn’t do that.

“If we’d played in that heat, the quality of the game would have been poor, because there’d have been no intensity and you’re damaging players in the long-run.

“I’m sure they’d have been feeling it and then it affects your next game as well.

“You do feel the heat on the 3G when it’s hot, but it’s not just the players, it’s the supporters as well.

“I wouldn’t have fancied sitting there in that and I’m sure a lot of people felt the same.”

Tonbridge’s weekend away was character-building in more ways than one.

They were five players down, with Joe Turner, Femi Akinwande, Craig Braham-Barrett, Ben Swift and Louis Collins unavailable, and missed their pre-match