EVESHAM United will be playing in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West next season after winning their appeal to the Football Association.

Robins chairman Jim Cockerton hailed “common-sense” after a decision to switch United to the Northern Premier League Division One South was overturned.

Cockerton said the FA leagues committee and the Southern League had broken their rules by allowing champions Cinderford Town to reject promotion from Division One South and West.

The Robins chief said he was “relieved” at the decision but admitted he felt “no sympathy” with Cinderford, who had lost all their players and manager since the end of last season.

Cockerton said "The FA have applied the rules and seen the error of their ways, so common sense has prevailed. We are over the moon.

“The situation remains as it had been originally with Cinderford being promoted to the Premier Division and we will remain in the Division One South and West.

“It’s such a relief that the matter has been resolved and we look forward to our 24th consecutive season in the Southern League.

“We did our homework and knew the rules of the competition had not been applied properly and that was the basis of our successful appeal to the FA.”

Cockerton was part of Evesham’s delegation who presented their appeal to the bosses at Wembley on Tuesday.

“We were told by someone at the Southern League that we had no chance with our appeal but we've done it," he said.

“We can now carry on with our plans and look forward to good times because we'll be going for it next season, that's for sure.”

Evesham can look forward to money-spinning home matches at the Jubilee Stadium against newly-promoted Hereford FC and Salisbury.

“Had we been moved into the Northern League there was a chance we wouldn't have stayed in the competition,” admitted Cockerton.

“The most important thing is the football club and there would have been significant cost implications involved in a move north.

“When the make-up of the league was originally announced we were over the moon that Hereford and Salisbury were in it with us.

“If those clubs are both going well and we are going well, we could be looking at a potential sell-out for those  two home matches and, financially, benefit from combined profit of £15,000 to £20,000.

“But after what we’ve been through over the past few weeks we now believe anything will be a bonus.

“Due to the uncertainty, a couple of players were also unsure whether they could commit to us next season but hopefully they will now agree to stay."

Cinderford will now have to build a squad from scratch as they prepare for life in the Premier Division.

Cockerton said: “I stand by what I have said about Cinderford over the past few weeks.

“There was a feeling in the FA that something wasn’t right at Cinderford and I don’t blame their manager and the players for leaving the club.

“I don’t feel any sympathy for them for what they have put us through and they now must get on with things."