A crackdown by the Football Association on ground criteria has denied Woodstock Sports a place in both the FA Cup and FA Vase this season.

Delays in building a new stand – to increase covered areas for spectators – has meant the club won’t be participating in either of the association’s high profile competitions.

Three months on from applying for funding to the FA, to assist in the building of a new 150-seater stand at their Broadoak Road ground, the club are still waiting to hear back. The new stand, with the cover needed to meet Grade F criteria, was essential.

Club secretary Colin Page (pictured) said: "We knew we were pushing it but having got the application in we thought we would be alright.

"The FA this year had really strict criteria and their policy was that clubs had to reach ground grading criteria by March 31. We weren’t in the position to get to that point in time.

"We got our funding application in place with the FA on April 3 and we were hoping that because the application was getting processed then they could see the stand would be built in time. But the FA haven’t allowed that, they’ve drawn a line and that’s that."

When funds are finally in place the building work is now likely be taking place during the football season.

"It won’t be easy to do the work then and we just hope the rain stops," said Mr Page.

"It can disrupt things and if it’s wet there is a danger of damaging the pitch."

Woodstock participated in both competitions last season, going out of the FA Cup to Banstead Athletic in the extra preliminary stage and losing 5-0 to Ringmer in the first round of the Vase.

The club start their pre-season build-up this Saturday, hosting Herne Bay in the Carl Davies Memorial Trophy.