 The first season saw them finish runners @-@ up , but the club 's management declined to apply for promotion back into the Southern League and so they remained in the Wessex League . In the following three seasons they were placed seventh , ninth and sixth , but 1997 – 98 saw the club finish runners @-@ up again , winning promotion back to the Southern League . Returning after a five @-@ year absence , it was not long before the difference in quality between the two leagues became evident , and the club soon realised that it was unable to compete financially with the bigger clubs in the division . At the beginning of the year the club announced its intention to return to the Wessex League for 1999 – 2000 , a decision taken because it was felt it would be better to play in a league in which it could compete financially and successfully . 
