ALL but two of the nine UCL champions in the current decade have used increased travelling costs as the stock-in-trade excuse for not applying for promotion to the Southern League.
Ford Sports twice declined to become upwardly mobile (in 2000 and again in 2002) but Woodford United took the plunge a couple of years ago to follow the example set by Spalding United
in 2004.
If Daventry Town or Long Buckby win the UCL Champion
ship next season
neither club will be able to cite the extortionate price of petrol as a reason for shunning the Southern League's Midlands Division.
A few quick calculations have revealed that Woodford will cover about 2,000 miles in
fulfilling 21 away fixtures in the Midlands Division
next season.
Meanwhile the Town and the Bucks will travel 1,800 miles in completing one fewer away trips (20) in the Premier Division of the UCL.
In fuel terms that represents only about £25 per car in a full season so the travelling cost
differences between the Southern League and the UCL are marginal to say the least.
Woodford will no longer have to travel to Cinderford in the Forest of Dean but visiting Suffolk newcomers AFC Sudbury and Bury Town will involve two rounds trips each of about 160 miles.
By contrast the games at Leamington, Rothwell, Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone will also take place less than 40 miles from Woodford Halse.
Meanwhile in the top flight of the UCL, Daventry and the Bucks will twice journey around 100 miles into deepest Lincolnshire to take on both Boston and Holbeach.
Derby games though are more prevalent involving Northampton Spencer, Cogenhoe, Wellingborough, Desborough, Rothwell Corinthians and Newport Pagnell as well as the Bank Holiday fixtures with
each other.
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