SOMEONE really moved the goalposts at an amateur football match - a thief.

Read United's reserve match against Colne United had to be called off after the goalposts were stolen.

The 7ft-high upright posts were taken, but the 14ft-long metal crossbar was left behind on Saturday afternoon.

Jim Royle, chairman of Read United, said: "Games have been postponed for lots of reasons but I have never come across a game being postponed because the goalposts have been stolen.

"I don't know why anyone would want to steal goalposts."

Russell Bennett, a committee member for Read United and a player for Read United Reserves, said: "The manager was marking the pitch up when they players arrived.

"He asked them to fetch the goalposts from behind the cricket club where they are kept, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"The players from the other team and the ref had turned up so we had over 22 people searching a mile around the ground for them.

"We looked around the grounds, by the cricket fields and around local allotments but couldn't find them.

"You would think they would be easy to find, 7ft-long metal poles painted white stand out."

The goalposts have to be taken down at the end of a match because the land isn't owned by the team.

Because of this the posts were custom made.

Russell added: "New goalposts have been bought so our next match on Saturday can go ahead.

"We had only had the posts three years, now we have had to use our spare funds to pay for the posts which cost between £300 and £400."

Anyone with information about the missing posts should contact Clitheroe police on 01200 443344 and ask to speak to PC 674.