FA confirm promotion hopefuls

Horsham, Horsham YMCA and Epsom & Ewell are among a number of former Ryman clubs who've applied for promotion and beat the FA's November 30 deadline for Step 5 clubs around the country to submit their applications.

Clubs from all five Step 5 leagues normally feeding into the Ryman League have applied to step up and potentially join either the Ryman North or South divisions next term.

Apart from Epsom & Ewell, the Combined Counties are represented by Ashford Town (Middx), Camberley, Hartley Whitney and Horley Town. The other Southern Combination League clubs who've applied apart from the two Horshams are Eastbourne Town, Loxwood, and Newhaven.

AFC Croydon Athletic, Ashford United, Beckenham Town, Corinthian, Greenwich Borough and Hollands & Blair have applied for promotion from the Southern Counties East League while Bowers & Pitsea, FC Romania and Ilford have put their names down as the Essex Senior League's promotion candidates.

In the Eastern Counties League, Godmanchester Rovers, Ipswich Wanderers, Mildenhall Town, Norwich United and Stanway Rovers are all in the running to come up, if as expected, their grounds meet grading standards and they pass the FA and Ryman League's criteria for promoted clubs.

The final decisions on whether clubs are placed in the Evo-Stik League Southern or Ryman League are taken every summer by the FA's National League Systems Committee following consultations with all the leagues and clubs involved.

For more information visit: www.thefa.com

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