LING United have withdrawn from the North Gloucestershire League because they do not have enough players.

The villagers have been hugely successful in recent seasons, running two teams on a regular basis.

The first-team rose up through the leagues to the North Gloucestershire Premier Division, gaining some notable cup successes along the way.

They also helped produce some outstanding young talents such as Jamie Powell, who is now playing for Cinderford Town in the Southern League.

Chairman Terry Cole said: "It's very sad, but we were down to about nine players. Some have packed up all together, while some have moved on to other clubs.

"The club is still very well supported so it doesn't make sense.

"Tony Scotford was prepared to manage the team, and Kevin Nash was happy to carry on as secretary."

The club reformed in 1994 after a 25-year gap.

Attracting players was not a problem, but finding somewhere to play in the village proved much more difficult. They initially played at the Lydney Recreation Ground, before applying to build a ground in nearby Ellwood, using land adjoining to Ellwood County Primary School.

However, villagers objected to that idea and presented a petition to the Forest of Dean District Council.

Eventually, the club agreed to lease their current pitch from the Forestry Commission, using changing facilities and showers at the nearby Sling Club.

Terry Cole hopes the club's demise will only be temporary.

He said: "We've done a lot of work on the Scarr Bandstand Ground and put in drainage.

"We've still got money in the club, so we have decided to carry on paying rent on the ground.

"The junior team will continue to play matches and hopefully they'll step up to the seniors when they're old enough.

"We'll look to rejoin the league as soon as we can, but the youngsters just aren't ready for the North Gloucestershire Premier Division yet."