THE biggest grass-roots Saturday Football League in Hampshire has been forced to cut a division next season due to the amount of clubs that have dropped out.

The Drew Smith Southampton League will only be running five junior and four veterans divisions in 2013/14 – compared to ten junior divisions as recently as 1996.

In addition, the league are to review how they pay for their League Cup semi finals and finals after reporting their first loss for many years – of over £3,000.

Southampton League secretary Rod Sutherland revealed that bad weather and Saints’ success in reaching the Premier League has conspired against them.

“I know other local leagues have suffered in recent years with teams dropping out, but this is the first time it has really hit home to us,” said Sutherland.

Sport England, the body in charge of funding grass-roots sport, recently reported an 11.7 per cent fall in the number of people in England.

In April 2012, 2.2 million played football once a week or more but that has fallen to 1.94m this year.

“We have lost around ten teams,” said Sutherland.

“1995/96 was the last season we ran with ten junior divisions.

“Next season we will only have five junior divisions, instead of the six we had last season, and four veterans divisions.

“And the veterans divisions all have less than 10 teams.

“In 1996 all the junior divisions would have had 11 or 12 teams in them.”

Sutherland added: “It’s great to see Saints doing well, but we have lost players who have bought season tickets to watch them.

“And the bad weather we had last season, where some teams went two months without playing, was a killer to some.

“For the clubs who were doing struggling, it was probably the last straw.

“Some players ended up working regularly on a Saturday and bringing in some extra money.

“We don’t yet know how the trend of players watching Saints and working more on Saturdays will pan out.

“You also have to take into account there is so much