Relegated Chichester likely to appeal after changes to league structure

Despite the increase, City, who finished, bottom of the table, will still go down, although fellow-relegated sides Shoreham and St Francis have both been handed a reprieve, as well as the fact that the fourth and fifth-placed finishers in Division 2 will also be promoted.

Littlehampton, who were fourth, will join Division 2 champions East Preston and runners-up Hailsham, along with Loxwood, who finished fifth, in the top-flight next year.

The changes were unanimously voted in by clubs at the SCFL AGM last Wednesday. Under the changes voted in, Division 2 will stay as an 18-team league while Division 3 will go down from 16 to 14 teams.

They were voted in against the recommendation of the management committee.

Chichester vice-chairman Sean Forry said: “We have another week to appeal against it and at the moment we are talking to people and getting information.

“It’s likely we’ll put an appeal in and on the face of it we have a strong case. No-one else from the three divisions has been relegated, apart from Bosham, but that was on ground grading issues so it’s a bit different. If nothing had changed and we’d finished bottom then we’d take it on the chin, but having gone up to 22 teams it’s different. We have the ground grading too so it doesn’t play up. If they are going up to 22 teams why don’t they want us as one of the 22?”

Paul Beard, who has stepped down as league secretary – after a year’s notice – said: “Peter Bentley, the chairman, wrote to clubs in Division 1 to gain their support to go up to 22 teams for next season.

“The management committee weren’t against going up to 22 teams, we just thought all clubs should be given a season’s notice, as we felt it was a bit unfair to just pick two teams from Division 2 to go up.

“Eric Nunn, the president, and Steve Nealgrove, the vice-chairman, have both now resigned and I understand other people on the management committee may be resigning as well.

“Peter Bentley was nominated as chairman again at the AGM and voted in but then said he wants a couple of days to think about it. If he decides not to stay on as chairman, a special meeting will have to be called to find a new chairman.”

Bentley was unavailable for comment.