THE Sydenhams Wessex League are prepared to take New Milton Town back into the fold – providing they can assure the league they will “do things properly.”

Linnets resigned from the SWL ranks prior to the March 31 deadline in preparation for a proposed link-up with Southern Premier neighbours Bashley.

The New Forest rivals had been discussing a move that would have seen a newly-named club – Bashley & New Milton – line up in the Southern Premier Division at the Linnets’ Fawcett’s Field home next term, subject to ratification from the Football Association.

But that plan has been dropped for the time being following Linnets’ chairman John Breaker’s decision to postpone negotiations with Bash because “certain things we wanted in place have not come through.”

When New Milton resigned from the SWL, it was on the understanding that they could do a U-turn should the Bashley move not go ahead.

Asked whether New Milton would be welcomed back into the league, SWL competition secretary John Gorman said: “The FA contacted the league to ask if we would be prepared to rescind their resignation and we said we would because we don’t want to stop a club playing football, but New Milton will have to assure us that they’re going to do things properly.

“We’ve written to them to ask what their intentions are.”

Provided New Milton are allowed back in, they will start next season in Sydenhams One having finished bottom of the Premier pile.

Such was the uncertainty surrounding their future towards the end of the 2012/13 campaign that they were struggling to raise a team, culminating in their trip to Newport IoW being called off.

With no time left to rearrange the fixture, they have been penalised with a fine and a three-point deduction, dropping them to the foot of the Premier table on 21 points, one adrift of Romsey, who will also be relegated.

Newport have been handed the victory, lifting them to a final position of sixth.