Presteigne St Andrews Football Club have withdrawn from the MMP-NL Mid Wales League East.

The club announced its decision tonight (Tuesday) via a statement which confirmed the Radnorshire club would not be competing in the fourth tier in the forthcoming season.

The decision followed discussions between the committee, manager John Haycock and playing personnel.

Haycock will now spearhead the club's efforts to rebuild in the Watson Financial Mid Wales League South.

Club chairman Mark Weiland said: "Clearly it is a sad day but, in the current circumstances, it had been agreed it was the right decision.

“Crucially, the players themselves have indicated they would not be keen to play at Mid Wales League level.

“We have a lot of good, young players and they have responded very well to John’s training sessions, but the fact is we are lacking the senior players needed to compete in the Mid Wales League.”

“After a number of seasons in which we have struggled towards the foot of the table, we had hoped to recruit some older heads to bolster the squad for the coming season."

Weiland said the decision had followed a tough year and one which would the club needed to rebuild at a lower level.

He said: “We have been hit hard by Covid in the sense we had appointed Gareth Jenkins and Rob Evans as managers and they had assembled a strong squad, but then that season never happened and things have moved on.

“John has been working hard to try to bring in a few experienced players but it has proved more difficult that either he or the committee had hoped.

“We apologise to the MMP with Norman Lloyd Mid Wales League officials and the other clubs for any inconvenience caused, but hope they appreciate we have taken the pragmatic decision that it is better pull out before the season starts than risk having to do so during the campaign.”

The club will now compete in the Watson Financial Mid Wales League South at the fifth tier of the revamped Welsh pyramid where the club will also enter a development side, CP Llanandras."