ST DENNIS AFC have pulled out of the Walter C Parson South West Peninsula League Premier West division ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The Boscawen Park club, one of the few villages at Step Six level, have the found the going tough in recent years, winning just a handful of games per season.

And with news last week that manager Jack Barbery was stepping down due to personal and work commitments, and no real interest in the vacant position, the club have acted fast with the new season just over seven weeks away.

A club statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) by secretary Alesha Banfield, says: “It is with great sadness and disappointment that we announce that we have made the decision to withdraw our first team from the Walter C Parson South West Peninsula League.

“Although this was a difficult decision, it’s one as a committee feel is the correct one at this present time.

“With the management team announcing their resignation towards the end of last week, an advert was put out on social media, but regrettably there was little interest, and we feel that making a decision sooner rather than later is beneficial for all involved.

“We have been informed many of the first team players have already stepped away from the club, leaving little to no players left from last year. A new manager would need to bring a vast number of players, but that just isn’t out there at this time.

“The first team have faced many challenges over the past few seasons, which as a club we have managed to overcome.

“We have made it through some extremely tough times, this sometimes with a huge impact on the finances at the club. For the future of St Dennis AFC, this level of football is no longer sustainable. “Through many years of experience, we know that we will not be able to attract the calibre of player needed to compete at Step Six without the pull that many other clubs have.

“Our priority is to now focus on the development of our reserves team, taking a couple of steps back to then take a few forward.

“With lots of players from our youth set up now progressing into adult football, it’s important that we continue to support them and offer a fantastic place to play football.

“We also want to improve our youth set up, along with the ladies team that we started last year.

“Of course, we would like to put on record our thank you to everyone who has been involved with the club and those who played a pivotal role in getting our first team into the Peninsula League, it has not gone unnoticed.

“We would also like to thank the South West Peninsula League for their fantastic support throughout the years, and we will hope to return when the time is right.

“This is not the news that we wanted to share ahead of a new season, but we know it is the correct decision to make.”

St Dennis’ reserve team which play in Division Two East of the St Piran League will now hope to make steady progress as the club’s flagship team, as will the ladies team who enjoyed a decent season in Division One of the Cornwall Women’s League in the 2023/24 campaign, and the youth sides within the club.