The proposed merger of the Western League and the South West Peninsula League, due to be introduced in time for the 2023-24 season, appears to be in tatters today following a breakdown in relations.

The Peninsula League is not happy with what it calls ‘a takeover of football in the South West by the Western League’ with the SWPL having only three representatives on a proposed new board of nine.

The Western League would fill the roles of chairman, vice chairman, company secretary, fixtures secretary, ground grading officer and match officials director – with the SWPL having general secretary, treasurer and welfare officer.

SWPL chairman Mike Pett and St Austell AFC secretary Tracy Banfield (proposed Welfare Officer) confirmed their resignations from the proposed new league’s steering committee this morning.

And Keith Mann has confirmed withdrawal of acceptance of a place on the proposed board.

SWPL company secretary Phil Hiscox issued what he described as ‘an important statement on behalf of SWPL members on the steering committee of the proposed new league’.

He said: “We want to assure all reading this that we have worked day and night to avoid doing so, but members from the SWPL side have lost confidence in the committee. Dialogue remains with the FA.”

Mr Hiscox’s statement, addressed to Laurence Jones, Head of the National Leagues Department for the FA at Wembley, reads: “Following on from previous emails and discussions and your kind invitation to a teams meeting last week etc, where efforts were made by the SWP members present to reach an amicable way forward. I have to report further.

“I am aware that Peter Stevenson and John Pool have spoken several times since and discussed potential solutions, but the only compromise afforded by the Western League would be for George McCaffery to do the Step 5 admin and offer myself a role doing Step 6.

“This is not something I could ever agree to as its both insulting to my experience, would create a two-tier system that is unfair on the clubs, and a flagrant breach of the promise John made at the very start of this journey, where he clearly stated: ‘You have earned the right to choose what you want to do Phil’.

“We would have accepted the numerical imbalance of both Officers and Directors, IF, and only IF, we could rely on his word, but sadly this is not the case.

“Without any real movement from John and the WL contingent, what remains on the table cannot be looked upon as anything other than a take-over of football in the South West by the Western League, with the SWP only having 3 of 9 Officers and the Western League having Chairman, Vice Chairman, Company Secretary, Fixtures Secretary, Ground Grading Officer & Match Officials Director to our 3 of General Secretary, Treasurer & Welfare Officer.

“If the league does go ahead with this situation (and the need behind the re-structure itself to reduce travel is accepted by us) the proposed new league will start on a negative footing which will only add to the problems of trying to marry up two existing competitions and that would not be in the best interests of any of the member clubs of either existing leagues.

“At the start of this journey, John Pool and I shook hands in front of witnesses at Wembley and agreed a ‘merger of equals’ and further, that our own ambitions would be put aside, if necessary, for the good of football and the member clubs.

“Regrettably under that test, I feel I must now withdraw from this project as my presence is clearly a hindrance, whether Mr Pool also considers his own position on this is a matter for his own conscience.

“A couple housekeeping notes if I may: 1) I will continue to administer the SW Peninsula League; 2) Should The FA leagues committee, either now or in the future, wish to revisit the structure in any way, I and the SWP Officers, remain willing and open to further discussion, with yourselves; and 3) I will post all papers I have relating to the project to Malcolm Price as Company Secretary so that he can check for any actions required.

“Finally, on a personal level, I must pass comment that I have enjoyed being involved in football administration for many, many years, and I have always appreciated the support of many fine club officials, who are the lifeblood of our level of the game.

“I am only sorry, that my time, and that of other SWP members on the steering committee, who worked so hard on this project, has not ultimately brought forward what we had hoped to achieve for their benefit, those very clubs had deserved so much better than this situation.”