FA VASE finalists Winchester City have appealed against the Southern League's decision to reject their application for promotion.

But the closer it gets to Sunday's D-Day meeting between the FA National League System Committee and representatives from the Alliance leagues, the less likely it looks that the Sydenhams Wessex champions will go up.

If they fail, it will be a crushing blow for the cathedral city club who, having failed to get their facilities up to scratch by the April 1 deadline, have splashed out between £15,000 and £20,000 on super-quick ground improvements - principally perimeter fencing.

They had been told verbally that if they had the work done by May 4, there was a chance of the DML ground grading team coming back to reinspect their Denplan City Ground headquarters.

But that date came and went on Tuesday with no further contact from the Southern League.

City's director of football David Malone said: "We didn't have anything in writing, but the Southern League spoke to both myself and chairman Richard Newsome on the phone and said they would try and come back and reinspect.

"It's a total travesty that we've done all that work and in double-quick time and they haven't got back to us.

"We've had 20 or 30 people running roun. Hardsy (team manager Neil Hards) has given up three days' work to do alterations to the clubhouse and some of the players have been helping out too.

"I still don't think the matter's completely finished, but obviously with every day that goes by our chances are diminishing."

Winchester are not the only club left confused and bemused by the FA' s restructuring plans for next season.

DML Eastern Division basement boys Fleet Town, the club City hope swop places with, were informed by the Southern League last week that no clubs would be going down.

Yet hours later the FA Board ruled that normal promotion and relegation would apply for the Level 3 leagues (Southern, Isthmian and UniBond) and that a further 15 clubs would be considered to come up from the feeder leagues.

Malone believes Fleet will survive because the Southern League will want to save face having already told them they were safe.

He said: "I've got no axe to grind with Fleet, but they could survive at the expense of a side (Winchester) who are palpably better than they are.

"It's up to the FA now to either accept or reject our appeal.

"But I can't help thinking the decision's already been taken. We've been stitched up a treat."

If Sunday's news is bad for City, Malone has resolved to take it on the chin - at least until the FA Vase final against AFC Subury is out of the way on Sunday week. "The best thing we can do is forget it, otherwise it will taint what we're trying to achieve in the Vase," he said.

Ex-Saints striker Adam Wallace and defender Josh Thomas have signed new contracts for Salisbury City next season.

The Whites have also agreed a deal with their ex-Basingstoke and Newport IoW midfielder Glenn Howes.

Great news for all Winchester City fans - don't miss the Pink on Saturday May 15 for a 16-page pull-out previewing the FA Vase final against AFC Sudbury at St Andrews the following day.