Winchester City have laughed off suggestions that their ground isn't good enough to get them into the Jewson Wessex League next season.

There have been whispers doing the rounds that City's stand at Abbots Barton does not comply with the JWL's strict grading criteria, but director of football David Malone said: "That's a load of nonsense.

"I have a letter from the Wessex League stating that we have complied with all the grading requirements and now all that stands between us and promotion is being elected into the league at the AGM (Sunday, June 8 at Eastleigh FC).

"I've seen a lot of Wessex grounds and ours is as good, if not better, than the majority of them.

"There's nothing wrong with our stand. We paid £25,000 for it and it arrived on the back of a lorry. It's a 200-seater on a concrete base."

Having taken the Hampshire Premier Division by storm this season, Winchester's pedigree stable of footballers now need to test their skills at a higher level.

Malone said: "I can't see any reason why we shouldn't be elected for Wessex football and I really hope we are. We need that extra challenge to keep the players we've got. They don't want to be stuck in Hampshire football for another season."

With the league trophy safely stashed away, City hope to add a couple of cups to the collection this week. They travel to Graham Knight and Gary Prince's Andover New Street in the Hampshire TrophyMan final tomorrow (Saturday) and on Tuesday face Hampshire League runners-up Vosper Thornycroft in the Southampton Senior Cup at St Mary's (7.30pm).

Defender Kieron Hall and left-sided midfielder Liam Green will almost certainly play tomorrow, but are not eligible for the big night at St Mary's.

City's latest squad addition is former Andover wide man Shaun Dyke, who has joined for the remainder of the season after parting company with Ryman League outfit Windsor & Eton.

Winchester have enquired after towering Gosport Borough goalkeeper Mark Brown, but the Wessex runners-up are not interested in selling having just secured the 6ft 5in stopper on a three-year contract.