Wessex League clubs dramatically voted former chairman Alf Peckham back into the hot seat at the League's Annual General Meeting held at Ten Acres yesterday.

Peckham, who has served the League since its formation back in 1986, had originally stood down as chairman after 11 years back in June 2000 but yesterday he won a secret ballot after deciding to stand head-to-head against chairman Nick Spencer.

Spencer told the AGM before the crucial vote: "I don't have Alf's experience but what I do have is the enthusiasm and the interest - it's the master or the apprentice."

And the clubs decided to opt for the master after Peckham had added: "It's nothing personal against Nick but the league has gone off track.

"With what's happening in the football pyramid at the moment we need someone with strength, know how and experience when dealing with other leagues - we need someone who is streetwise."

Spencer will continue with the Wessex League as a Commercial Officer looking to secure a new sponsor to replace Jewson who have now called time on a 13-year association with the League.

Member clubs also supported the move for the creation of a Wessex Second Division in time for the start of the 2004/05 season.

Peckham stated that clubs in the second division would play in the FA Vase and possibly the FA Cup as well as their County Senior Cup as the division would become a Senior League.

"The ground grading would be slightly lower than our Division 1 and we have had interest from eight clubs at present concerning the second division but we would need 14 to start it up and build from there.

"It is envisaged that our Division 1 will be Step 4 of the pyramid, the new Division 2 will become Step 5 with the Hampshire League and Dorset Combination becoming Step 6," said Peckham.

Winchester City's application to join the Wessex ranks was formally rubber-stamped by the AGM and there was some good news for last season's bottom-placed club Whitchurch United.

They have escaped relegation to the Hampshire League because of Eastleigh's promotion.

With no club replacing the Ten Acres outfit from the Southern League, the Wessex need to retain their numbers at 22 which means a reprieve for Whitchurch.

Bottom two Andover New Street Reserves and Portsmouth RN Reserves weren't so fortunate when the Combination Division was constituted - both failed in their re-election bid.

Andover, Bournemouth Poppies and Cowes Sports successfully applied to enter reserve teams.

But the Combination will still have one less team next season as both Newport IoW and Wimborne Town have withdrawn.

The Wessex League Cup will become a knockout next season apart from the semi-final which will continue to be two-legged.

AFC Totton picked the League's Fair Play Award for the season, while the Friendly Club Award, voted on by all the League's match officials, was won by AFC Newbury - for the fifth year running!

More Wessex League news in this weekend's Pink.