WORCESTER City made a failed attempt to persuade the Football Association to change their decision to place the club in Midland League Premier Division.

Chairman Anthony Hampson revealed he had held crunch talks at Wembley on Monday after the FA’s league management committee agreed to put cash-strapped City in step five of the non-league football pyramid.

He said he wanted the Blue and Whites, who were relegated from National League North, to drop down two divisions to step four of the non-league pyramid – the same level as Evesham United who are in the Southern League Division One South and West.

However, his bid was rejected, meaning Worcester will look ahead to clashes with Heanor Town, Shawbury United and landlords Bromsgrove Sporting next season.

"I am sorry and I can only apologise," Hampson said.

“We did appeal the step five decision and I spent three hours at Wembley on Monday with the league’s panel.

“We felt that we had given a good account of ourselves and we felt that we would have actually been in step four.

“They have put us at step five for their own reasons.”

City’s chiefs contacted the FA and the league about their intentions to play at a lower level in early March despite the team’s best efforts to stay up.

With costs rising in National League North and Worcester continuing to lose money in exile, the board said the drop was “the best chance of survival”.

“The message to fans is that there is still a club to support and if we had carried on at step two or three there wouldn’t be a club this time next year,” Hampson continued.

“I think it was March 1 when we had to inform the National League of our intentions for next season.

“Then it is out of their (the league’s) hands and it is out of our hands. It is up to the league’s committee to say where you are going to go.

“They told us that we were going to be in level five. We appealed that decision. We went down there (to Wembley) on Monday and clearly that appeal failed so we are where we are.”

The Worcester News contacted the FA for a comment, but they have yet to respond.