YATE Town manager Craig Laird has called for the Football Association to sort out their non-league structures as clubs like his face potential travel bills of thousands of pounds when the new season kicks-off.

And, as the squad get back into training today (Thursday) after their summer break, Laird said he will be assessing whether he needs to bring in more fresh blood before the league kicks-off.

There is believed to have been a furore among clubs in the Evo-Stik Southern League South and West Division over the colossal distances part-time clubs, with limited funds, will need to spend to fulfil away fixtures.

Changes have apparently been made to the tournament’s constitution following Clevedon Town’s relegation. Clevedon failed to meet ground grading requirements which has seen Burnham FC and Marlow FC in Berkshire transferred into the South and West division.

And it could have been even worse as Redhill FC, based in Surrey, were also believed to have been offered the place in the South and West League but declined.

Winchester City, who finished second to Petersfield in the Wessex Premier League were promoted and have accepted the move into the South and West division.

Yate have played teams for a long way off before, but now the geographical spread has been extended further, sparking a big debate among clubs.

The South and West Division now stretches from Buckinghamshire to Hampshire and down to Devon.

For Yate, that will mean travelling from Lodge Road to clubs like Tiverton FC in Devon (150 miles round trip), the south coast to take on Bashley FC (160 miles round trip), plus trips to Burnham FC near Slough (180 miles) and Marlow FC (186 miles).

The final Southern League South and West Division line-up will see Yate play AFC Totton, Banbury United, Bashley, Bishops Cleeve, Bridgwater Town, Burnham, Cinderford Town, Didcot Town, Evesham United, Larkhall Athletic, Mangotsfield United, Marlow, North Leigh, Shortwood United, Slimbridge, Swindon Supermarine, Taunton Town, Tiverton Town, Wantage Town, Wimborne Town and Winchester City. 

Laird admitted that long away trips went with the territory of climbing the football system, but for part-timers, it can cause all sorts of issues, particularly financial.

Laird, who coached at Weymouth before joining Yate in the spring, said: “It is one of those things that, if you progress through the pyramid system, clubs to play become further away.

“But maybe the FA need to look at how this affects leagues lower down.

“The London clubs moan because they have to come over to us every so often when there are a whole host of clubs within a few miles of their home ground.

“It is difficult and the carbon footprint of travelling needs to be looked at in football.”

However, Laird would not like to see leagues go the other way and become too localised.

He added: “You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. If you had a team like Yate playing in the local county leagues, they would simply be too good for other sides.”

Meanwhile, Laird is chomping at the bit to get going for his first full season in the Yate Town manager’s role.

He is taking the squad to Brean Sands to get some fitness work and then using the astroturf at Clevedon Town in order to give the Lodge Road pitch a rest until the first home friendly against Hungerford on July 25.