THREE Oxfordshire clubs have voiced their disappointment after being forced into relegation.

Headington Amateurs, Letcombe and Woodstock Town will drop out of Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 1 West next season.

Their hand has been forced by new Football Association rulings – one of which states all grounds at that level must have floodlights for the 2018/19 campaign.

They are all set to be placed in Division 2 when the league structures are announced today.

The FA Leagues Committee notified clubs about the requirement for floodlights at the start of the 2015/16 season, initially setting a two-year deadline before extending it to include the 2017/18 campaign.

Headington Amateurs are due to move to their new ground at the Barton Park development this summer, but it does not have floodlights.

Secretary Donald Light said: “We’re not happy.

“We had been at that level for a long time – the best part of 30 years.

“The FA have been trying to do this for several years, but now they’ve said ‘no we’re going through with it’.”

Woodstock vice-chairman Neil Roberts said the club have had applications to install floodlights at their New Road ground refused three times.

He added: “At the level we play at, floodlights are not essential.

“We’re not happy about it at all. We have everything but the floodlights.”

Letcombe are unable to meet another new rule – the construction of a safe walkway – due to a cricket pitch separating the clubhouse and football facilities.

After strong opposition, the club have promised locals no floodlights will be installed at their Bassett Road ground.

Secretary Des Williams said: “We can’t get lights – there would be such ill-feeling.

“It’s a night sky area and they want an unobstructed view of the ground.

“I don’t know where we go, we’ve asked to drop down to Division 2, whether we lose players or not we will have to wait and see.

“We have proper drainage and some grounds with lights are are under water.

“What is more important, lights or a pitch that is playable?”

Brian King, secretary of the Uhlsport Hellenic League, said: “Unfortunately, some clubs have not been able to get planning approval for floodlights with, I would say, some bizarre reasons why they can’t.

“Realistically we have clubs that have now accepted the situation we have got and we move on from there.”