LEISTON chairman Andy Crisp has called on the FA to make a decision on what league Ridgeons Premier Division clubs would be promoted to.

LEISTON chairman Andy Crisp has called on the FA to make a decision on what league Ridgeons Premier Division clubs would be promoted to.

Third-placed Leiston applied for promotion but withdrew their application after the FA could give no guarantees what league they would be playing in next season.

Crisp revealed the club would not welcome promotion to the Zamaretto Division One Midlands as they would not be able to cope with the financial demands that would be placed on the club.

“We applied for promotion but withdrew our application as they were not able to tell us what league we would be playing in next season,” said Crisp. “We could not afford to go into the Southern Division as it costs around an extra �8,000 per season.

“We showed our intentions by applying for promotion but with no indication of where we would be playing we could not push on with it.”

Crisp believes it is time for the FA to set out a path for Ridgeons clubs that wouldn’t see them have to break the bank to work their way up the non league pyramid.

“I think the Ridgeons Premier is probably the best league around at Step Five but I think teams in the west and north Suffolk areas are somewhat left out on a limb when it comes to going any higher.

“In an ideal world I think we would like to go into a league in the M25 corridor. We are led to believe that there will be something more definite in the next couple of years but in the meantime we just have to wait.”

Crisp praised both Bury and AFC Sudbury for the way they have coped with life in the Zamaretto Division One Midlands and highlighted how Lowestoft have breezed their way through Ryman One North as evidence that local clubs can make an impact at a higher level.

“Bury have done extremely well while Sudbury have competed admirably through the season.

“Lowestoft have shown what an impact Suffolk clubs can make but perhaps it is time for some other teams in the Ryman leagues to step up or step down.”

While the promotion dream may have died for Leiston, Crisp insisted everyone at the club is gearing up for a final push for the championship.

Needham Market and CRC are in pole position but Crisp wants Carl Chenery’s men to take advantage of any slip-up from the pair.

“We want to finish the season with a flourish - there are five games to go and you never know what can happen if we win all those five.

“It’s unlikely after the results on Wednesday night but we’ll keep going and see where it takes us.”