CINDERFORD Town chairman Stuart Tait hit out at The FA’s decision to move Cinderford Town from the Southern League West Division into the East Division as ‘illogical’.

But the Causeway club will still play in the West Division after Andover Town’s withdrawal from the competition caused a five-team shuffle across Step Four of the National League System.

Cinderford are one of the most westerly clubs in English football’s eighth tier and yet clubs such as Didcot Town and Thatcham Town remained in the West Division.

The move sparked incredulous comments and anger across the South West last week, as Tait confirmed Didcot’s intention to appeal.

Thankfully for Town, the move has been reversed

Speaking on Friday, Tait said: “It just can’t happen – there’s no logic to the decision.

“It would add 850 miles to the journeys we make. We’d have the highest mileage of any side at Step Four.

The decision evoked echoes of when Town were refused voluntary demotion from the Southern League Premier Division as West Division champions in 2016.

The club suffered serious financial turmoil that year and managed to see out a season at Step Three with a severely reduced budget.

“We haven’t come the distance we have in two years just to be set back like this,” Tait added.

“This is the kind of thing that could kill off a grassroots football club.

“But there isn’t a club that isn’t talking about this in the South West. Everybody is supporting us.”

The move, which was announced by The FA last Thursday, was widely ridiculed on social media as Town manager Paul Michael and assistant Andrew Smith both slammed the plans.

“I didn’t take Geography at GCSE so maybe that’s why I don’t understand,” Michael said on Twitter, while Smith called it ‘madness’.