Breaking news 11pm: Ryman League AGM "degenerated into a little bit of mayhem" - EXCLUSIVE

Whilst driving back from tonight’s Ryman League Annual General Meeting at Staines Town’s Wheatsheaf Park Stadium, Sittingbourne secretary John Pitts admitted his club “are not happy in losing Dartford,” writes Stephen McCartney.

Mr Pitts sent a text message to www.kentishfootball.co.uk at just before 9pm tonight, confirming that Dartford had switched from Ryman League Division One South to North.

Travelling back with his chairman, Mr Andy Spice, Mr Pitts said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk that the Brickies were not happy that their local rivals have moved divisions.

“You can certainly say that Sittingbourne Football Club are not happy in losing Dartford,” he said.

“Obviously one, because we have been local rivals for years, and two, you have to look at the income we will lose.”

Surrey side Molesey were expected to make the switch from South to North, and were even placed in the Northern Division when the Ryman League issued their constitution on their official website recently.

One Molesey fan posted messages on the websites and forums of Kent clubs asking them to back his club’s appeals - he must be laughing at us now!

And why should Corinthian-Casuals, a side that have finished inside the relegation zone in Ryman One South for the last two seasons, even be in the Ryman League.

If a club had to switch divisions, surely it should have been them?

Mr Pitts revealed that there was “a little bit of mayhem” as clubs voted that Dartford should be made scapegoats.

He said: “The Ryman League tried to push though 23 teams in Ryman League Division One South and 21 in Ryman League Division One North.

“The FA actually allowed to offer that, but the clubs threw that out straight away.

“The Ryman League North clubs didn’t want to lose a fixture, but that’s understandable, because it’s money.”

“The proposal was that Molesey were to be shifted to the North - a proposal from the League.

“I understand that the FA League’s Committee put forward a proposal that Molesey would move to Ryman League One North.

“As you can imagine, Molesey were up in arms in that and someone put an amendment that Corinthian-Casuals were to be moved North instead of Molesey.

“They (Corinthian-Casuals) should have been relegated after finishing in relegation places for two years running.

“But then, a further amendment was made - by Tilbury - that Dartford should shift north because they were geographically (close to them and) should move north.

“By then the meeting was degenerating into a little bit of mayhem, it’s fair to say.

“Finally, it was decided, another amendment, that a paper vote was to be taken by all member clubs.”

Mr Pitts revealed that 27 Ryman League clubs voted that Dartford were to be the club that were forced to switch divisions, whilst Corinthian-Casuals (21 votes) and Molesey (2) stayed where they were. There were 10 club’s that abstained.

Mr Pitts added: “It’s politics and everybody knows the crowds that Dartford get - that must have gone into people’s minds.

“Dave Skinner (Dartford’s co-chairman) didn’t actually say a lot after that - I think he was a bit gutted.”

“The League are bound by the votes of the members but Dartford can appeal to the FA as the League structure is run by the FA and not the League’s,” said Mr Pitts.

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