Season to kick-off without United

The future of the Quarterboys is still unclear. Rye withdrew from the league back in March following a members’ vote at an extraordinary general meeting.

At the time club chairman Clive Taylor admitted the final straw was being faced with relegation to Division Two over a ground grading issue relating to the temporary enclosure Rye used at The Salts, their home ground.

But the builder of the Rye United FC Clubhouse - which opened in March 2012 having been constructed to replace the old Sidney Allnutt Pavilion (which was destroyed in an arson attack in August 2010) - was still owed money.

At Rye’s annual general meeting in late June it was agreed to transfer some of the club’s assets to the builder in an effort to clear the debt.

Outgoing chairman Taylor was hopeful that a mystery buyer would take over the club, but no officers were appointed at the AGM so the club is without a committee.

If a new owner does come forward, an extraordinary general meeting will be called. But with Rye not having entered the ADA East Sussex Football League either, there won’t be any football on The Salts until at least 2015.

Rye United was formed in 1938 and joined the Sussex County League in 1952. The club moved to the Kent County League in 1983 before returning to Sussex in 2000. Rye reached the FA Vase quarter-finals just three years ago.