AFC Calne withdraw from League (From Wiltshire Times)

AFC Calne withdraw from League

8:10am Thursday 20th September 2012 in Sport

AFTER just three weeks of the new campaign, Shaun Preen, manager and secretary of Chippenham Sunday League Premier Division side AFC Calne has informed league secretary Frank Harvey that due to a lack of commitment from players he will be withdrawing the club from the league with immediate effect.

AFC Calne won the Division Three title in 2006, but their greatest triumph came last April when they claimed a thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over AFC Melksham to lift the WG Parr Trophy.

After avoiding relegation at the end of last due to teams pulling out of the Premier Division, Calne were always going to find it hard this term.

Thanks to the efforts of manger Preen, who had replaced Jason Matthews at the helm, things looked good with an influx of new players.

However after losing to FC Colerne on the opening day and then being unable to raise a side for their meeting with FC Jager the following weekend, things took a turn for the worse.

When players failed to turn up for last Sunday's game with FC Colerne, which they lost 11-1 having played the whole game with just 10 players, the writing was on the wall.

With no guarantee that things would get any better and with players already opting out of this week's Knockout cup clash with Wren FC, Preen made the decision to withdraw the club at this stage of the campaign rather than struggling to see the season out.

Calne's withdrawal comes after that of FC Bradford's, who went a week before the season started and leaves just eight sides competing for the honours in the Premier Division.

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