SELBY Town and Pickering Town have been given a real boost in their bids to get promotion from the Northern Counties East League premier division.

An extra team will go up - making four in all - to help create a new UniBond division next season.

The Robins and the Pikes are among ten NCEL clubs who have applied to move up. Selby, with matches in hand, look a decent bet to make the top four, while Pickering will need to end their recent poor run to get back in the promotion picture.

The new division will be created by splitting UniBond League One - which includes Harrogate Railway - into Northern and Midland regions as part of restructuring.

Selby are currently three points adrift of fourth spot, but have four games in hand over the Leeds club, starting with tonight's game at bottom club Shirebrook.

Although the NCEL would allow a fourth club to move up they are to ask the FA for permission to take more than one club from their own feeder, the Central Midlands League. In recent years, the CML have only allowed their champion club to go up into the NCEL.

Selby secretary Tommy Arkley said: "This is good news. It obviously gives everyone another position to play for. It's always been our aim to get to top spot but this extra place gives us a bit of breathing space."