FOOTBALL: Abbley fears poor gates

9:35pm Saturday 17th May 2008

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CIRENCESTER TOWN chairman Steve Abbley is concerned that the FA's decision to place his club in the Southern League South/West division rather than the Midlands, following their relegation from the Premier, will affect gate receipts in the new season.

Abbley also believes that the league restructuring announced last week may not yet be definitive, with some outstanding ground grading issues only ratified at the Southern League AGM next month.

"Going into the South/West rather than the Midlands means we will be more M4-based than M5-based," said Abbley.

"There will be less travelling involved, but I think we would have been better off in the Midlands.

"Those clubs have better travelling support, which is not the case with the London-based sides.

"We will now be playing Didcot Town, who have good travelling support, but our experience of playing North Leigh in the Hellenic, for example, was that it was a bit of a damp squib as a local derby.

Two new derbies have been set up by the moves of Bishops Cleeve and Cinderford Town from the Midlands division, while the longest journey will undoubtedly be to big-spending Truro City.

Backed by millionaire chairman Kevin Heaney, Truro have won three successive promotions and picked up the FA Vase in 2006/7 along the way.

Truro have planning permission for a 16,000-seater stadium as they push hard for Football League status, although they have put on hold the idea of turning full-time just yet.

Truro are set to notch round trips of more than 9,400 miles to play their 21 away games in their Southern League baptism and Heaney may again choose to fly his team to midweek fixtures.

The Southern League AGM is due to take place on June 14 and Abbley believes there may yet be more reprieves from relegation at the meeting.

"I feel there is still plenty of manoeuvring to be done before the AGM," he said.

"As far as I can see, the only decision made by the FA was to rule Halifax out of the Blue Square Premier, which has caused Altinricham to be reprieved from relegation for the third season in a row."

The 22 sides due to play in the BGB Southern League South/West division next season are: Abingdon United, AFC Hayes, AFC Totton, Andover, Beaconsfield SYCOB, Bishops Cleeve, Bracknell Town, Bridgwater Town, Burnham, Cinderford Town, Cirencester Town, Didcot Town, Gosport Borough, North Leigh, Paulton Rovers, Slough Town, Taunton Town, Thatcham Town, Truro City, Uxbridge, Winchester City, Windsor & Eton.