BEWDLEY Town first team might have had a break from on-field action last weekend - but it is all happening off the pitch as their £100,000 scheme to improve Ribbesford Meadows gather pace.

Craig Payton's West Midlands League premier division high-fliers were without a match, allowing them to recharge their batteries for this Saturday's

But while they are continuing to make great strides on the pitch, chairman Geoff Edwards insists they are making similar progress behind the scenes.

Plans for necessary ground improvements have been submitted to Rock Parish Council and Wyre Forest District Council, who will rule on the application on February 20 and March 7 respectively.

If Bewdley are given the go ahead, work will begin immediately on the project to bring the riverside ground up to the standards set by the Football Association .

Playing in West Midlands League, Bewdley are currently a level seven club, although they could be upgraded to a level six as part of a restructuring on the non-league pyramid this summer.

Either way they need to make improvements and have drawn up plans for three state-of-the-art floodlights on each touchline which only shine downwards to minimise light pollution.

They also propose to construct a covered stand seating up to 140 people to accommodate 100 fans and 40 officials, while their temporary dressing room cabins will be replaced with a more permanent wooden structure.

The whole project is likely to cost between £80,000 and £100,000 with £20,000 coming from an FA stadium improvement grant, a further £30,000 from the sale of nearby woodland and the shortfall from an FA or bank loan.

Bewdley have been busy fund-raising but most of the proceeds have gone to the £11,000 costs of renting Stourport Swifts and Oldbury United's grounds for a year for their first team and under-18s.

Edwards insists the club's hard work in getting to the higher reaches of the West Midlands League and forming a community club with 11 teams and a mini-kickers section would be undone if planning permission is rejected.

He added: "If we don't get this work done we'll be told to leave the West Midlands League and get fined £2,000 for going into the Premier Division last season on the understanding we'd bring our ground up to scratch."

Bewdley have two successive home league games at Walshes Meadow against Bustleholme at 2.45pm on Saturday and against Brierley Hill at 7.45pm on Wednesday.

Bewdley Reserves marched into the quarter-finals of the League Cup with a well-earned 2-0 win over West Midlands League division two rivals Wednesbury.

Rich Downey's men put their indifferent league form behind them to book their place in the last eight with goals from Jordan Tipper and Jamie Hart.

They host Shenstone in the quarter finals.

Tipper opened the scoring on 55 minutes when he picked the ball up on the edge of the area and beat two players before rounding the keeper.

They kept up the pressure and first-teamer Hart, who was given a run out for the reserves after returning from holiday, beat the offside trap to seal the win.

Bewdley host Bromyard on Saturday.