HAVERHILL Rovers' future as a Ridgeons League Premier Division club has been thrown into doubt after Lowestoft Town indicated they would not accept promotion to the Southern League.
Although Rovers finished bottom, therefore in the relegation zone, it appeared the club would get a reprieve because Lowestoft had applied for promotion while Tiptree United were looking to move sideways to the Essex Senior League (ESL).
But Lowes
toft will only move up if they are offered a space in the Ryman League, because travelling costs in that league would be much smaller than in the Southern League.
Haverhill must now wait for the Football Association to decide what league Lowestoft can go into and also if Tiptree will be allowed into the ESL, with decisions expected by the end of next week.
Rovers manager Peter Betts said: “We are already getting organised in regards to sorting out pre-season friendlies and speaking to some players.
“We’ll take what we get but it’s a case of knowing so we can get set up for what we need to do.”
Lowestoft are against being promoted to the Southern League because of the extra travelling involved, something which has caused problems for AFC Sudbury.
Since promotion from the Ridgeons League, Sudbury have played in the Ryman League and the Southern League, with travelling costs at least £7,000 higher in the Southern because of trips as far north as Birmingham.
Because of Lowestoft’s reluctance to move up to the Southern League, Betts believes his side will end up in Ridgeons Division One.
“If we are in Division One, we need to be coming back at the first time of asking not spending four or five years down there,” he said. “I think we’ll end up in Division One but I would love to have a full season in the Prem. What worries me about Division One is it will be harder than we think.
“People don’t realise how tough it will be, especially with Team Bury coming into it. Then there’s Harwich possibly going down, who I expect to go straight up.”
There was more worry for Rovers when rumours surfaced in the last couple of months that the ESL was to be downgraded from a step five league, equivalent to the Ridgeons Premier, but officials at the league have said they are untrue.
That means Tiptree’s sideways move should go without a hitch, leaving Haverhill’s future hanging on Lowestoft’s plans.
Tiptree United secretary John Wisbey said: “Haverhill are probably wondering what players they can go out and get – we are in exactly in the same position only at the other end.
“It’s a difficult time but that’s the way the FA said from the start they are going to do it and how they did it last year and we are going to have to just remain patient.”
