NORTHERN Star are out to make it third time lucky next season.
The United Counties League Division One champions were denied promotion to the Premier Division after failing to meet a deadline to carry out improvements on their Chestnut Avenue ground by a few days.
Star's slim hopes of going up were finally en
ded when the constitution for next season was drawn up at the UCL annual meeting this week.
It was the second successive season in which Star had done enough on the pitch, but not been granted a rise in class.
Director of football Tommy Cooper said: "It is no surprise at all. We sent out various letters and tried to go down a few different routes, but they have all been shut off.
"It has been a bit of a problem putting plans in place this summer without knowing our situation for definite, so we are about a month behind a lot of teams.
"But we will certainly be making a robust defence of our title, although we will not be held to ransom by the demands of players.
"Third place is enough to win promotion and 52 points has been enough to finish there in the last couple of years.
"We are not going to push the boat out financially and will stay within our means with a sensible Division One budget."
Next season will be a first at the helm for new boss Chris Plummer - the former Posh defender.
Star have lost the services of strike pair Karl Gibbs and Mark Paul. Gibbs has moved on to Stamford while Deeping manager Pat Rayment revealed he has signed Paul.
United Counties League constitution 2009-10
Premier Division (21): Blackstones, Boston Town, Bourne Town, Cogenhoe United, Daventry Town, Daventry United, Deeping Rangers, Desborough Town, Holbeach United, Long Buckby, Newport Pagnell Town, Northampton Spencer, Raunds Town, Rothwell Corinthians, St Ives Town, St Neots Town, Sleaford Town, Stewarts & Lloyds Corby, Stotfold, Wellingborough Town 2004, Yaxley.
Division One (16): AFC Kempston Rovers, Buckingham Town, Bugbooke St Michaels, Burton Park Wanderers, Eynesbury Rovers, Huntingdon Town, Irchester United, Northampton ON Chenecks, Northampton Sileby Rangers, Olney Town, Peterborough Northern Star, Potton United, Rushden & Higham United, Thrapston Town, Wellingborough Whitworth, Wootton Blue Cross.
The United Counties League KO Cup draw was made at the annual meeting.
Preliminary round: Daventry United v Sileby Rangers; Long Buckby v Buckingham; Raunds v Yaxley; Blackstones v Burton Park; Northampton Spencer v Stotfold.
First round: Bourne v St Neots; Long Buckby or Buckingham v Raunds or Yaxley; Bugbrooke v Rushden & Higham; Daventry United or Sileby Rangers v Olney; Potton v Blackstones or Burton Park; Eynesbury v S & L Corby; Newport Pagnell v Wellingborough; Whitworths v Thrapston; Desborough v St Ives; Cogenhoe v Holbeach; Deeping v Boston Town; Daventry Town v Rothwell Corinthians; Huntingdon v AFC Kempston Rovers; Sleaford v Northern Star; Wootton v ON Chenecks; Northampton Spencer or Stotfold v Irchester.
