THE inclusion of Weymouth Reserves for next season was the biggest bone of contention at the Sydenhams Wessex League AGM.

Several club representatives – most notably Hythe & Dibden chairman Dave Cox – expressed concern about the Terras’ second string being allowed into Sydehams One.

Weymouth Reserves were one of five new teams included in the provisional league constitution drawn up by the Football Association.

And while the existing clubs had no objection to accepting Bashley, Baffins Milton Rovers, Hamble Club or Shaftesbury into the Wessex family, many branded the inclusion of a Southern Premier reserve team unacceptable.

Cox fumed: “I’ve spent 25 years with Hythe & Dibden making them a good club – and now we’re a reserve league. It’s ridiculous!”

With so much dissatisfaction in the room, it appeared the vote might go against accepting the constitution, forcing the league to put things on hold and go back to the FA.

In the end, however, it was passed by 26 votes to 20 – much to the relief of new fixtures secretary Roger Allen who was already well advanced with his 2016/17 planning.

SWL chairman Ian Hoare was another relieved man, although he admitted he was not personally in favour of letting reserve sides in.

“I don’t want it. I don’t think it’s right for this league, but we have to play under the FA’s standardised rules,” he said.

“Weymouth qualified for promotion through league position and ground grading and there is no way the FA can stop them entering Step 6 (Sydenhams One). They are part of the system.

“They can play in our league but they will not have full membership rights and, under FA regulations, they cannot progress to Step 5 (Sydenhams Premier).”

Allaying fears that the Wessex second tier could be overrun by reserve teams, Hoare added: “There’s a limit of four allowed in.”

Rather less inflammatory was the passing of a motion to promote and relegate three teams between the two divisions instead of two-up, two-down.

With Division One now up to 21 teams, Hoare said: “I think they deserve an extra promotion place.

“But should a reserve team finish in the top-three, they will not get promoted," he stressed. "The fourth-placed team, should they wish to, would go up instead.”

With two leagues – the Hampshire Premier and Dorset Premier – feeding into the Wessex, two clubs could be relegated from Division One and replaced by two from Step 7. Alternatively they could be considered for re-election.

In a new Wessex directive, anyone dismissed from the dugout must go back to the changing room for the remainder of the game. The exception would be the team physio who would, instead, miss the next match.