MORECAMBE chief executive Rod Taylor has expressed his disappointment over the football League's decision not to give the Conference a second promotion place.

A League EGM had been expected to approve a deal which would have seen the Conference fund 'parachute payments' to ease the blow of relegation for clubs in the League.

Mr Taylor said he believed the Conference's offer, which would have seen the clubs receive money for two years, funded in part by profits from the new play offs for the second promotion place, was a generous one.

Conference outfits will now meet next week at the home of Conference champions Rushden and Diamonds, one of the few League clubs to back the plan, to discuss the way forward.

"It impacts massively on the club," said Mr Taylor: "For example, another promotion place might have had an impact on whether we go full time or not.

"A second promotion place would have extended the season for a lot of clubs. If you are in sixth or seventh place the play offs would give you a lot more to play for.

"At the end of last season, Stevenage and Southport, who were in third and fourth place, were playing each other and the crowd was just a little over 1,000. With play offs, that game would have had huge implications."

Meanwhile, season tickets go on sale at Christie Park this Friday, and the club are still hopeful of signing Leigh striker Steve Jones.

"We haven't yet heard a response to our second offer," said Mr Taylor: "But we are still hopeful of signing him. It is out of our hands at the moment."