League football returns to the YMS Stadium on Tuesday evening as Whitstable Town welcome Sittingbourne for our first home league fixture of the 2026/27 campaign.

It will be a quick turnaround for Lee Martin's side, who begin their league campaign with a difficult trip to Peacehaven & Telscombe on Saturday before returning to the Belmont just three days later.

Under the lights, against familiar Kent opposition, Tuesday promises to be another good occasion as the Oystermen continue their return to Step 4 football.

There will be little time to dwell on the weekend's events before attention turns to Sittingbourne.

Saturday's trip to East Sussex provides Whitstable with a tough opening league assignment at Peacehaven & Telscombe, followed by just a couple of days to recover and prepare for Tuesday night's encounter.

While the Oystermen are in Sussex, Sittingbourne will have a challenging league fixture of their own as they face Cray Valley PM.

Cray Valley began their league campaign by picking up a point against Margate last Saturday, so it will be another interesting early-season fixture to keep an eye on ahead of the Brickies' visit to the Belmont.

Sittingbourne themselves started their league campaign positively with a 2-1 victory over AFC Croydon Athletic, with former Whitstable Town player Harvey Smith among the scorers.

With the season still in its infancy, there is little value in drawing too many conclusions from the early table, particularly with both sides having another fixture to negotiate before meeting on Tuesday.

The Brickies will also have cup football on the horizon, with Erith & Belvedere awaiting them in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round.

For Whitstable, though, the focus will first be firmly on the challenge at Peacehaven before the quick turnaround begins and attention switches to a first home league night of the season.

Known as The Brickies, Sittingbourne are well-established at Step 4 and arrive in 2026/27 having enjoyed several strong seasons in the Isthmian League South East Division.

They have become regular contenders towards the upper end of the table in recent campaigns and reached the South East Division play-offs for a third consecutive season in 2025/26.

The previous campaign had seen the Brickies produce an outstanding 100-point league season, highlighting the consistency they have achieved in recent years.

Their 2-1 opening-day victory over AFC Croydon Athletic ensured another positive start, and there will be a familiar face among the visitors when they make the journey to Whitstable.

Former Oysterman Harvey Smith is now part of the Sittingbourne ranks and wasted little time making his mark on the new campaign by finding the net in that opening league victory.

All of that points towards another demanding early-season examination for Lee Martin and his squad.

Whitstable and Sittingbourne are certainly no strangers to one another.

The clubs have met numerous times over the years in Kent and Isthmian League football, and Tuesday renews a fixture that will be familiar to supporters of both sides.

The most recent league meeting at the Belmont came during the 2021/22 Isthmian League South East Division season.

On that occasion, a crowd of 703 watched Sittingbourne record a 2-0 victory, with second-half goals from Kane Rowland and Toby Bancroft securing the points for the visitors.

More than four years later, plenty has changed for the Oystermen.

Whitstable return to Step 4 following promotion last season and winning the FA Vase and Kent Senior Trophy, while Sittingbourne have established themselves as regular contenders towards the top end of the division.

On Tuesday night, the two Kent sides meet again.

There's always something a little different about a night game at the YMS Stadium.

Tuesday provides the first opportunity of the league campaign for the Oystermen to play in front of their own supporters, and we're looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the Belmont for a 7:45pm kick-off.

The Scoreboard Shack will be open serving a range of hot food, while the clubhouse and bars will also be open offering a selection of beverages and drinks throughout the evening.

With league football back at the Belmont and familiar Kent opposition providing the visitors, we're hoping for another strong crowd under the lights.

Concession admission is available for disabled visitors, senior citizens aged 65 and over, and students with a valid NUS card.

Under-14s will only be admitted when accompanied by a responsible adult.

Season tickets are valid for this fixture. It's not too late to get yours and get the best value for money ticket to see the Oystermen! Get yours here!

To make arrival as quick and easy as possible, supporters are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance and use our automatic turnstiles.

With automatic turnstiles now operating at both the Car Park entrance and Belmont Road, supporters who have purchased online can simply scan the QR code on their phone and head straight into the ground.

Belmont Road entrance:
Online tickets only via the automatic turnstiles.

Car Park automatic entrance – East Side of the Main Stand:
Online tickets only via the automatic turnstiles.

Car Park manned entrance – West Side of the Main Stand:
Cash and card payments accepted on the night.

Buying online before matchday is the quickest way into the YMS Stadium, helping to reduce queues and get everyone through the gates faster.

Purchase your tickets here!

Please note: All cars parked in the car park are left at the owner's risk.

First-team manager Lee Martin is looking forward to the Oystermen's first home league fixture of the campaign but knows his side face another demanding test following Saturday's trip to Peacehaven.

"It's a quick turnaround from Saturday and that's something we'll have to manage properly. Peacehaven will be a tough opening game and then straight away our attention turns to another very difficult test against Sittingbourne.

"They're a strong side who have been right up there in this division over the last few seasons, so we know the level of performance that's going to be required from us.

"For us, it's another opportunity to learn and develop as a group. We're still early in the season and continuing to build, but the attitude and application from the players have been excellent.

"We're really looking forward to being back at the Belmont for our first home league game. I've said from the start how important our supporters are going to be for us this season.

"Tuesday nights under the lights always create a good atmosphere, so hopefully we can get a strong crowd through the gates, get the place going and give everyone something to enjoy."

A familiar Kent opponent, our first home league fixture of the campaign and another opportunity for the Oystermen to test themselves following their return to Step 4.

Before then, both sides have important Saturday fixtures to negotiate – Whitstable on the road at Peacehaven and Sittingbourne at home against Cray Valley PM.

Once those games are done, attention will quickly turn to Tuesday night.

Get down early, get behind the boys and help us make some noise under the lights.