Due to problems with clubs involved in level transfer and the news that Birmingham Bees have collapsed, losing their man sponsor and 29 players, they have now elected to leave League rugby and drop down to play in a Merit Table, and rebuild.

I have been notified we are going ahead with only 13 teams in our League.

What a tragedy for a club to have to go through all this. Getting relegated and informing their players they would not be paying next season and then face with a level transfer into SW Premier is a step too far.

It does mean that Bromsgrove had a crack at Midlands Premier and not level transferred to SW Premier again. I also understand that Shipston RFC have appealed against a level transfer to the SW Division but as they are a L7 farmers club they cannot commit to travelling to Reading and other destinations because cows cannot wait to be milked and other livestock fed. They are also committed to drop out of the league if their appeal fails.

Stratford are back in the Midlands after two seasons at L6 and as a result have lost 20 players who could not commit to travelling to the likes of Wimborne. They have been demoted for the first time in their history. At a time when they were looking to grow numbers of senior players.

It proves what a sad state our game is at anything below Premiership. It seems some players have no loyalty to their home clubs but move around their area to play for the higher bidders.

Rugby at the lower leverl cannot be sustaintained and it is interesting that the Inland Revenue have now started to show an interest. Just recently an email went out reminding EVERY CLUB to remember to submit details the Reveue.

This of course doesnt count in our own club but I am afraid that in the long run clubs and players are going to get pounced on for not following correct procedure. Personally I have no problem if clubs are taking the correct steps, signing players up properly and paying PAYE to the revenue, it does of course mean players have a second income and that could be to their detriment.

Hopefully we will see the fixtures towards the end of this week.