ELATED Eastleigh are on the march into the Southern Football League for the first time in their 57-year history.

The Jewson Wessex League title winners are one of three champion clubs who have received the green light into the Dr Martens ranks along with Western League top dogs Team Bath and Sussex League winners Burgess Hill Town.

JWL runners-up Gosport Borough had their eyes on filling the fourth spot, but it has gone instead to Yate Town, who finished second to North Leigh in the Hellenic League.

Maidstone United had looked certain to go up as the fourth champion club, but their Kent League title push faltered in the final four matches and they were pipped to the post by Cray Wanderers, who did not apply for promotion.

Because Maidstone groundshare at Sittingbourne, they were overlooked in favour of Yate, whose superior facilities also placed them ahead of Midland Alliance runners-up Rushall Olympic.

New to the Premier Division are promoted quartet Dorchester, Eastbourne Borough, Merthyr Tydfil and Weston-super-Mare - plus Nuneaton Borough, who have plunged down from the Conference. The other Conference fall-guys, Kettering Town, are heading for the Ryman League.

Eastleigh's promotion, to be rubber-stamped at the DML's annual meeting tomorrow, has been greeted with happy smiles at Ten Acres - none of them broader than that of general secretary Derik Brooks who has been with the club ever since it was started up as Swaythling Athletic back in 1946.

He said: "These are very exciting times for Eastleigh and I'm extremely pleased for the club, the players, the fans and all those who have helped towards this over 57 years. I'm nearly 80 and it's always been an ambition to see Eastleigh in the Southern League. I can retire happily now!"

Former Eastleigh player Paul Doswell, who steered the club to the JWL title in his first season as manager, added: "I'm really happy. We were 99 per cent sure we had made it into the Southern League, but it's always nice to hear it officially. It's onwards and upwards now. We're looking forward to playing in a higher league and seeing how we get on."

Dr Martens outfit Salisbury City are not being recommended to run a reserve side in the Jewson Wessex Combination next season. Priority has gone to three clubs who already have first teams in the Wessex set-up.

Dr Martens League constitution for 2003-4

Premier Division: Bath, Cambridge City, Chelmsford, Chippenham, Crawley, Dorchester, Dover, Eastbourne Borough, Grantham, Havant & Waterlooville, Hednesford, Hinckley, Merthyr Tydfil, Moor Green, Newport County, Nuneaton, Stafford Rangers, Tiverton, Welling, Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth, Worcester.

Eastern Division: Ashford, Banbury, Bashley, Burgess Hill, Burnham, Chatham, Corby, Dartford, Eastleigh, Erith & Belvedere, Fisher, Fleet, Folkestone, King's Lynn, Hastings, Histon, Newport IoW, Rothwell, Salisbury, Sittingbourne, Stamford, Tonbridge.