TYTHERINGTON ROCKS are a step closer to making the necessary improvements to their ground to continue playing at their current level.

They have raised 30 per cent of the money needed for new floodlights, a requirement for all step six teams from next season, and have applied to the Football Stadia Improvement Fund for the rest.

Chairman Ted Travell is confident of satisfying the FA’s demands that they will be in place in time by the March 31 deadline and is also hopeful of making further improvements in order to play at a higher level should the team finish in a Hellenic League Division One West promotion spot once again.

“We’ve applied for planning permission to extend the away changing room and hard standing around the field with a covered area for 100 people,” said Travell.

Tytherington, who won the league by 18 points last season, were six points behind second-placed Wootton Bassett Town in third ahead of the Boxing Day fixtures and a further six adrift of league leaders Brimscombe and Thrupp, with the top two going up.

Travell also revealed that the club have applied to the FA to transfer to the Toolstation Western League from next season.

“The travelling involved in the Hellenic is double what it would be in the Toolstation,” said Travell.

“We’d like to transfer to the Toolstation because we’d have a lot more local teams which would increase our gate and increase our revenue, but the real reason is that we’d have more local derbies.”

Tytherington’s home Supplementary Cup game against Finchampstead last Saturday and league visit to Malmesbury yesterday were both postponed due to the wet weather.

They are due to face Fairford Town at the Hardwicke Playing Fields this Saturday (2pm).