Promotion for Peterborough North End Sports and March Town, long trips for Bourne and Blackstones, separation for Peterborough Northern Star after a big non-league football reshuffle

A mass restructuring of grassroots football has seen Sports and fellow Peterborough Premier Division side FC Parson Drove move up a level. The teams were fifth and sixth respectively when the Peterborough League was abandoned last season, but they were the highest finishing teams that applied for promotion following Netherton United’s decision to withdraw their application.

Sports and Drove face some monster journeys though. They have local teams Whittlesey Athletic, Bourne and Blackstones for company, but they have also been placed in the same division as Great Yarmouth and teams from Ipswich and Norwich.

March Town have been promoted to the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division while Peterborough Northern Star have been separated from regular local opponents Deeping Rangers, Holbeach United and Pinchbeck United.

Big-spending Spalding United, who signed former Posh star Marcus Maddison yesterday (May 18) will play in the newly created Northern Premier League Midland Division next season.

They will face local rivals Stamford AFC, Wisbech Town and Yaxley in what looks like a tough division, although Spalding’s spending power will ensure they start as one of the title favourites after several seasons struggling in the bottom half of the table.

New divisions

Northern Premier Central Division: Bedworth, Belper, Cambridge City, Carlton, Chasetown, Coleshill, Corby, Daventry, Halesowen, Histon, Ilkeston, Loughborough Dynamo, Shepshed Dynamo, Soham Town, Spalding United, Sporting Khalsa, Stamford, Sutton Coldfield, Wisbech Town, Yaxley.

Eastern Counties League Division One: Blackstones, Bourne, Debenham, Diss, Downham, FC Parson Drove, Framlingham, Great Yarmouth, Harlestone, Huntingdon, Ipswich Wanderers, King’s Lynn Town Reserves, Leiston Reserves, Needham Market Reserves, Norwich CBS, Peterborough North End Sports, Sheringham, UEA, Whittlesey, Wisbech St Mary.

United Counties Premier Division North: Anstey Nomads, Boston Town, Deeping Rangers, Eastwood CFC, Gresley, Heanor, Heather St John, Holbeach United, Leicester Nirvana, Long Eaton, Loughborough Uni, Melton Town, Newark, Pinchbeck United, Quorn, Selston, Skegness Town, Sleaford .

United Counties Premier Division South: Biggleswade Utd, Bugbrooke St Michael, Cogenhoe Utd, Coventry Sphinx, Coventry Utd, Desborough, Eynesbury ROvers, Godmanchester Town, Harborough Town, Leicester Road, Long Buckby, Lutterworth Town, Newport Pagnell Town, ON Chenecks, Oadby Town, Peterborough Northern Star, Potton Utd, Rothwell Corinthians, Rugby Town, Wellingborough Town.