DARWEN will definitely be playing Second Division football in the North Western Trains League next season with no avenue of appeal open to the club.

Darwen's relegation will be rubber-stamped at the league AGM next month after clubs voted at a special general meeting of the league to send them down after the club failed to meet ground grading regulations by the April 1 deadline.

It was thought the club would be able to appeal and possibly retain top-flight status following the demise of Haslingden.

But League grading secretary Alan Farnworth has confirmed that there is no provision in the league rules to appeal against a decision of the member clubs and the FA has no jurisdiction over the matter.

The clubs voted to relegate Darwen, Warrington and Chadderton following a recommendation from the league.

They will be replaced by Skelmersdale, Leek CSOB, Cheadle and Bootle after Second Division champions Oldham Town were prevented from going up because their ground did not meet the grading requirements.

And Second Division clubs Middlewich and Garswood, who finished just one place behind seventh-placed Bootle, were kicked out the league because their grounds were also below the required standard on April 1. Darwen are disappointed not to be given an extension beyond the deadline with all the required improvements under way.

"Some are major building works which you can't do in winter with football going on.

"Works will be completed before the new season and have been allowed for, financially and labour-wise," said Darwen chairman Kath Marah.

The Anchor Ground, which will celebrate 100 years as a football venue next season, requires some concreting of a hard standing area and a new referee's room to accommodate a new mandatory covered players' tunnel.

Marah reported that work is underway on all the projects but Farnworth confirmed that no leeway is given to clubs based on "plans and promises."

"We have been let down too often," he added.

Despite the set-back, which will see Darwen lose their local derbies with Clitheroe, Rossendale and Ramsbottom, Marah has pledged that the Anchormen will bid to bounce back.

"Football will still continue and we will hopefully play our way back into the First Division," she added.

Manager Steve Wilkes also plans to carry on and try and win promotion at the first attempt.

"It's stunned me but life goes on," he said.

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