Lyme Regis Football Club have announced that regrettably they are withdrawing their third eleven, Lyme Rovers, from the Perry Street League.

Although they had 70 players signed on at the beginning of the season, like many other clubs the Seasiders have found it difficult to fulfil  fixtures for their three teams and have come to the conclusion that they have no option but to withdraw Lyme Rovers from Division One.

Local football has been badly affected by COVID-19 and Lyme is one of a number of clubs to have withdrawn a team from competitive football.

As one of the Perry Street's longest members, Lyme hope it will be possible to rejoin the league in future years.

The league was informed of the decision yesterday by team secretary Rob Thom. In a letter to the league management committee he said:  "It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Lyme Regis FC has made the difficult decision to withdraw Lyme Regis Rovers from the Perry Street League Division One with immediate effect.

"As you know we have been struggling to field teams for a while now and this has affected our other two teams in our attempts to fulfil our fixtures.  Our manager, Stef Taylor, has worked so hard trying to get players to make themselves available and to bring in new players but with unavailability, injuries and commitment across the whole club we feel this is the right decision for the club to take.

"It will mean that unfortunately it will end Lyme Regis FC's long standing association with the PDSL and we will review our position in time for next season if we feel we can recruit and attract players with the commitment to play regularly.

"We wish to thank the PSDL committee for their continued hard work to ensure grass root football is played in the local area."

League secretary Chris Ware replied: "It very much saddened me to hear this. I appreciate that this season has been exceptionally difficult for you all and if this decision makes the remainder of the season less fraught then it is truly the right decision.

"Everyone associated with the club work so hard to make football happen for your players and I wish, on behalf of the league, to express my heartfelt gratitude to you. Whilst I have only been League Secretary for five years, throughout that time I have witnessed how much of an anchor the club is for football in the region and you have consistently been a valued member of the league.

"Lyme Regis as a club has always been one that I have delighted in visiting and I hope we can still run the Tommy Tabberer cup at your venue if and when the full league cup programme allows."

Lyme has a proud record in the Perry Street League having won the Premier division on six occasions and the two main cup competitions, the Challenge Cup (six times) and the Coronation Cup (nine times).

At one time the club ran a fourth senior eleven and a ladies' team, the Lyme Lazers, but the lack of local pitches made it impossible to continue.

Lyme's first team and Reserves moved to the Devon and Exeter League a number of years ago to provide a higher standard of football with the first team having progressed to the Premier division, the highest standard at which they have played in the club's long history.