BRISTOL & West AC’s hopes of enjoying a promotion summer in the British League next season were given a lift after Newquay & Par AC pulled out of the league.
The two west clubs would have both been in Division Two next summer but the Cornwall outfit have decided to withdraw.
Team official Dave Varney told me that the decision as taken in reaction to a couple of factors that together made it very difficult to put out a team.
First there was a declining interest from athletes to support the league allied with the club losing a couple of key players in what was already a small pool of athletes.
Secondly and obviously related to the wanting enthusiasm was the toll of the long trips from Cornwall to attend the fixtures.
Varney pointed out that two of the fixtures next summer would be in Bedford and on a Sunday which means the team wouldn’t get back until the early hours of Monday morning leaving those with work or college commitments no rest at all before the start of a new week.
B&W chairman and team manager Roger Brocklesby reckons the decision, which was agreed at the recent AGM of Newquay & Par, was too late for a major re-organisation of the league.
“I think Division Two will go with seven clubs instead of eight next season,” said Brocklesby.