Cold water poured on promotion party
Sedlescombe Football Club may be denied promotion to the top flight of the East Sussex League.
The 2007-08 Division One champions have been told by the league that their Oaklands Park home doesn't meet the Sussex County FA's intermediate ground grading requirements.
Player John Rowley said: "With all the media coverage of 'grass roots' football recently, this whole scenario seems like a huge step backward in helping smaller teams move up."
The problem is that there are currently no washing/showering facilities on site, although Sedlescombe are in the process of having their clubhouse rebuilt with completion scheduled for January 2009.
One option is to rent a portable shower unit for next season, although at an estimated cost of up to 3,500, obtaining funding will be extremely challenging.
A second possibility is to use another ground elsewhere, but this would prove expensive with the club having to rent one pitch for its first team and another for the reserve side.
The East Sussex League says it is trying to help Sedlescombe with their predicament, yet it can't allow Premier Division football to be played at Oaklands Park in its present state.
Honorary secretary Kevin Bray commented: "We've got to try to keep some minimum standards going and they've known throughout the season what would happen.
"I don't think it's something that can't be sorted out. They could start the season on a Hastings Council pitch and, once their facilities are done, one quick inspection and they can start playing there."
The league stressed it hasn't decided on anything yet and will be holding a meeting at the end of the month.
Sedlescombe aren't the only ones with problems, though, because Athletico, who finished in the second of the two promotion spots, also have work to do.
Athletico have been told that they must create some form of partitioning to separate the two teams in the changing area at their Berwick Recreation Ground home.
And Crowhurst, who came just outside the promotion places in third, find themselves in a similar situation to Sedlescombe.
Sedlescombe rounded-off a successful season on the field by upsetting Hollington United 5-3 in the Robertsbridge Charity Intermediate Cup final on Wednesday, last week.
Goals from Luke Davies, James Doswell (2) and Mike Booth (2) saw off the East Sussex Football League Premier Division champions at Robertsbridge Recreation Ground.
Sedlescombe were also runners-up in two other cup competitions, possess one of the finest playing surfaces of any parks team in the area and run youth teams from the ages of 6-15.
Their end-of-season presentation night will be held at the Queens Head, Sedlescombe, on Saturday June 28.
Pre-season training will start in the middle of July. Old and new players are welcome and for further details contact Bryan White on 07999 861434.
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Weather for St Leonards-on-Sea
Monday 28 May 2012
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