(Photo credit: Steve Barton: Bay Ladies celebrate winning the SECWFL League Cup)

After a third successive successful season Herne Bay Ladies will be playing in the London & South East Regional Women's Football League in 2015/16.

Promotion was confirmed following Wednesday's meeting of the FA Women's Joint Liaison Committee after Herne Bay Ladies finished as runners up in the South East Counties Women's Football League Premier Division last term. Winners, Dartford Royals who Herne Bay beat at Winch's Field to retain the League Cup, declined promotion.

Herne Bay Ladies manager Anthony Deer said, "This is fantastic news but it's been well earned and hard earned by the Ladies. We have a great bunch of players and I'm very proud of them. It's going to be tough in the new league and I am already set to add some new quality players to the squad to help us meet the challenge."

Among the Ladies opponents next season are AFC Wimbledon, Fulham and Maidstone Utd as well as some sides Bay have come up against before like Crawley Wasps and Bexhill United. The other promotee is Camden Town from the Greater London Women's Football League.

Herne Bay Ladies are now just one promotion away from the FA Women's Premier League structure.