PERSHORE Town has contacted the FA about the prospect of moving to the Hellenic League next season.

Town, who play at the sixth level of non-league football, got switched from the Midland Football League (MFL) to the West Midlands (Regional) League (WMRL) last summer.

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There was a change of management early in the campaign with ex-Malvern Town gaffer Les Jones leading the club away from relegation danger.

As it turned out none of the clubs in the drop zone went down with Shifnal Town staying in the WMRL and Pegasus Juniors provisionally shifted south to Hellenic Division One (West) alongside Malvern Town, Hereford Lads Club and Wellington.

The Hellenic League has a long-standing problem with filling its first divisions with 14 clubs covering five counties – Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire – set to fill the West.

Most leagues at that level have 20 teams with the WMRL Premier reduced to 18 by the proposed changes.

The FA has stated that “discussions are ongoing with a view to increasing the membership of the two Hellenic League's step six divisions to 16 clubs”.

Littleton, set to be transferred from the MFL to WMRL as things stand, and Pershore look like the clear contenders with Worcester Raiders, promoted from WMRL One, potentially coming into the catchment.

“We would like the opportunity to go into the Hellenic League and are considering options on how to proceed,” said chairman Paul Loader.

“The only thing we have done so far is ask the FA what the appeal process is or how we go about being considered.

“We left our options open because we did not what was being considered.

“Geographically it makes more sense, a lot of the local teams have been transferred across. If you look at the map we are more like the pimple that sticks out and not really in the west Midlands.

“I would imagine the rest of the teams allocated to the Hellenic will be thinking ‘what are we going to do for the second half of the season?’

“Having 14 teams does not provide you with many games so it would be far more beneficial to take it to 16, even extend it to 18 if that works.”

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As part of a restructure at steps five and six, there will be four promotion places available to each division at Pershore’s level, irrespective of how many teams are in each division.

Hellenic One (West) finished with just 12 teams last season, including two that have stayed up despite finishing on just three points each.

Asked if a potentially easier route to promotion had inspired their thinking, Loader said: “Our aspiration is to try to secure a top-four place in whichever league we go into.

“Whether we can turn that into a reality come the end of the season remains to be seen but that’s the plan, whichever division we end up in.”