The county's top football legaue - the Precision Training Nottinghamshire Senior League - has been given permission by the Notts FA to run a third division.
Formed in 2004, the NSL has made clear for some time its ambitions to expand – although other local leagues have expressed areas of doubt.
Now, however, the Notts FA’s Rules and Competitions Committee has granted another request by the NSL for a third division.
In confirming the news, Elaine Oram, the Notts FA’s Secretary, says that the move will hopefully give added strength to local football. “Whilst representatives from the Notts Amateur Alliance and the Midland Amateur Alliance did express reservations on behalf of their management committees, our Rules and Competitions committee felt that the decision was in the best interests of Saturday football in Nottinghamshire.”
Dick Durrant, the NSL’s Vice Chairman, says that it’s now up to the league to deliver a set-up capable of representing the county on the non-league ladder. “There are a lot of changes afoot above us on the pyramid, however, when we started the NSL it was one of our stated goals to provide a good standard of football within the county with good facilities so that the better local players would not have to play in leagues outside of Nottinghamshire if they didn’t want to.
“It has been great for us to attract Bilborough Pelican back into the league this season, and as a result of this decision we will hopefully see other clubs make similar decisions. The third division is the ideal springboard for this to happen.”
He adds that the NSL are fully aware that it could work both ways, however. “Clearly clubs will move on if they think the next rung of the ladder is right for them – and if they do, we will fully support this.”
NSL Secretary, Darrell Parkes, is another pleased with the development. “We are delighted to have been given the go-ahead. We are very grateful to the NAA and MAA for putting the interests of Nottinghamshire non-league football ahead of their own.
“We will only allow a maximum of two teams per season to join the NSL from each league. An agreement has also been reached that the NSL will not include third teams. The NAA and MAA see such sides as their lifeblood and we have no desire to see this threatened.
“Much agonising has taken place to arrive at this conclusion and credit must go to the members of the Notts FA Rules and Competitions Committee for their fair-handed approach.”