Non-League football in shake-up plans

New look for pyramid gives Newbury extra incentive to chase promotion this season

NEWBURY have an added incentive to kick into promotion gear this season with non league football due for a major shake-up at the end of next year.

The long-debated revamp of Step Five of the Pyramid system - the major 'feeder' leagues - is due to kick in for the 2013-14 season and will see a rep-shaping and re-alignment of that level of the pyramid.

The Hellenic League is central to the southern region changes, drawing as it does from a number of counties from London to Hereford.

That will place it in the new London North East Division, tying it more closely with west London and losing the Wiltshire, Gloucester and all-points west destinations.

Ground standards will play a part in the final jigsaw, but as things stand and excluding promotions from this season, the new Hellenic-based division would resemble the following: Abingdon Town, Alton Town, Ardley Utd, Ascot Utd, Ash Utd, Binfield, Bracknell Town, Camberley Town, Cove, Egham Town, Farnham Town, Flackwell Heath, Henley Town, Holmer Green, Holyport, Kidlington, Oxford City Nomads, Reading Town, Sandhurst Town, Thame Utd, Wantage Town , Windsor, Witney Town, Wokingham and Emmbrook.

Binfield, Flackwell Heath and Shortwood United have all applied for promotion to join the Southern League set-up for next season, but it remains important for clubs looking to move up to attempt to make the jump into the Hellenic League's top flight this season to prepare for the next step.

And with the lower 'feeder' leagues to assimilate, promotion is likely to be more difficult after next year.