DEVIZES Town insist that they did make every attempt to keep Barnstaple Town in the loop after their team bus broke down en route to Saturday’s game.

The Nursteed Road club have been ordered to explain themselves to the Toolstation League and could face punishment after they were unable to complete a round trip of over 250 miles to take on the First Division champions, who were being presented with the trophy, last weekend.

After running in to transport issues and informing Barnstaple that their bus had broken down near Bristol at 12.30pm, the match was eventually called off at around 3.30pm.

League rules state that clubs without just cause for failing to fulfil a fixture could be liable for disciplinary action and league general secretary Mark Edmonds branded Town’s ‘no-show’ as “totally unacceptable”.

Devizes chairman Shaun Moffat said: “We’d sorted out a bus for the players and the boys were all really gutted with what happened because they were looking forward to having a few beers on the way back.

“There were problems with the brakes and my interest was the safety of the players.

“We were in contact with the managers on the phone and we spoke to Mark Edmonds at around 1:30 or 2pm to say that we wouldn’t be able to make it.

“We contacted Barnstaple two or three times to let them know and we’re disappointed that we couldn’t get there.”