A RADICAL plan to reorganise the structure of non-league football failed dramaically this week.

Southern League clubs voted 65 to one against accepting a proposal from the Isthmian League (also known as the Ryman League) to swap dozens of clubs - including all the Southern League clubs currently playing in Kent.

Isthmian League secretary Nick Robinson wrote to member clubs last week saying: “If the Southern Football League agree, the Isthmian Football League will have responsibility for the South East Premier, the Mid East One and the South East One ... the proposals will be implemented with immediate effect from next season, so that the changes will take place at the AGMs in June this year.”

But at a meeting the Southern League, clubs voted by a crushing 65 to one against accepting the plan. Chairman Dennis Strudwick explained: “We had an excellent debate after all the options were presented, but the clubs voted by 65 to one that the feeder structure to the Conference should be two leagues and not three.

They feel that we are the strongest feeder league and didn’t want to downsize the competition.”

The vote means that the Southern League are hot favourites to take over the organisation of the Conference’s southern section when the non-league game is eventually reoraganised - probably for the start of the 2004/2005 season.

The reorganisation, on geographical grounds, should mean that Kent’s Southern League clubs will play a greater number of local games against clubs like Dulwich, Lewes and Bromley, while reducing trips to northern outposts like Grantham, Spalding and Stafford.