Southern Football League offers Wingfield Royals a lifeline

A DUMPED northern suburbs amateur league club may field a team in the Southern Football League this season — with players travelling about 40km to compete some weeks.

A DUMPED amateur league club based 13km north of the city may field a team in the Southern Football League this season.

The amateur league removed Wingfield Royals from the competition last month because they failed to have enough players to fill two teams.

But the SFL has offered Wingfield a lifeline to field one team in its C grade — if league clubs supported the move.

The C grade features teams as far away as 40km from the Ottoway-based Royals, such as Christies Beach.

The nearest SFL club, Morphettville Park, is about a 25-minute drive from Wingfield.

SFL president Craig Warman said he contacted the Royals because the league did not want teams to fold but would leave it to its clubs to decide their fate.

“If there’s an opportunity for the Southern Football League to be a good samaritan so to speak and give this club an opportunity to play in our C grade then we’d look at it,” Warman said.

Warman said the league was waiting on a formal application from the Royals.

“When the formal application comes in we’ll look at it then go to a vote of our clubs.”

Wingfield, which was established in 1954, finished bottom in the amateur league’s division seven last year.

In 2011, the Royals did not field a side yet returned the following season in C4.

The amateur league has left the door open for Wingfield to return in 2016 as long as they filled two squads.

“They may only be in for one year,” Warman said.

“I’ve had a conversation with several presidents and they don’t want clubs to fold either.

“Whether we can get it across the line, I’m a little bit doubtful.”

Christies Beach president Mick O’Neill said the club would discuss the matter at a meeting next week.

“We wouldn’t be interested in seeing anybody miss out on playing football ... but we haven’t seen anything written down from the league,” O’Neill said.

“Once we have, we’ll assess it and give a response.”

Wingfield officials are being sought for comment.