THE thorny subject of where and at what level Grays Athletic will play their soccer next season is still far from clear.

When the FA Leagues Committee announced its provisional line-ups for the 2010/11 campaign yesterday, the former New Rec side were not included in either the Blue Square or Ryman League set-ups.

This has heightened speculation that Julian Dicks’s men might be heading for a place at county football level in the Essex Senior League — although the Football Association have stressed that there are a number of outstanding issues still to be resolved and that listings could be subject to changes.

When Grays were relegated from the Blue Square Premier, and announced the end of soccer at their New Rec home, it was expected that they would be found a place at Ryman level, possibly in the Premier Division.

If that happened a good bet was that they would go for groundshare with East Thurrock United, who have facilities to play at Premier level.

But, if they do finish up in the Essex Senior, they could opt for sharing at the Chadfields home of Tilbury.

Meanwhile there are five new clubs in the Ryman and interesting news locally is that former Great Wakering Rovers’ boss Iain O’Connell, now in charge at Margate, has been spared relegation from the Premier despite finishing fourth from bottom.

That is due to the fact that clubs at a higher level have either packed up or expressed a desire to drop down.

Billericay, Canvey, newly-promoted Concord Rangers and Aveley will face new opposition in the Premier Division in the shape of Bury Town.

And Great Wakering Rovers, Tilbury and East Thurrock United will take on new East Anglian opposition in Division One North with AFC Sudbury returning and Needham Market joining.

Ryman Premier set-up: AFC Hornchurch, Aveley, Billericay Town, Bury Town, Canvey Island, Carshalton Athletic, Concord Rangers, Cray Wanderers, Croydon Invicta, Folkestone Invicta, Harrow Borough, Hastings United, Hendon, Horsham, Kingstonian, Lowestoft Town, Maidstone United, Margate, Sutton United, Tonbridge Angels, Tooting and Mitcham, Weald-stone.

Ryman Division One North: Division One North: AFC Sudbury, Brentwood Town, Cheshunt, East Thurrock United, Enfield Town, Great Wakering Rovers, Harlow Town, Heybridge Swifts, Ilford, Leyton, Maldon & Tiptree, Needham Market, Northwood, Potters Bar Town, Redbridge, Romford, Thamesmead Town, Tilbury, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Forest, Ware, Wingate & Finchley.