BOURNEMOUTH FA chief Daren Hills is set to meet club secretaries and managers to discuss the future of Sunday morning football.

Talks will take place at the end of the season and are aimed at finding ways to boost flagging numbers in the Hayward Sunday League, particularly in the top two divisions.

More than 2,700 players are registered with 99 clubs in the Sunday League, which is made up of 108 teams in 10 divisions. Eight teams, however, have withdrawn from the competition this season.

In a bid to address the situation, the BFA is keen to canvass opinion of clubs officials and hear suggestions for the way ahead. Changing kick-off times could be on the agenda.

BFA secretary Hills told the Daily Echo: “I think the trend throughout the country is that Sunday football is on the wane. In Bournemouth generally though, we are doing okay.

“We do need to look at the top-end of our football. We have had more teams pull out during the season than ever before. We need to address that and will be speaking to secretaries and managers at the end of the season.

“When we constituted the league, we had 12 teams in the Premier Division and now we are down to eight. Teams keep winning as they move through the divisions and then find the Premier Division is another level. Players who are used to winning suddenly stop winning and don’t enjoy it as much.”

Chris Farrell, manager of reigning Premier Division champions Branksome Con, said: “My personal opinion is that Sunday morning football is dying rapidly. That would be backed up by how many teams have pulled out of the Premier Division over the past three seasons.

“Daren at the BFA is trying to organise an initiative with all the clubs to see if there is anything we can do to reverse the trend.”

• See today's Echo for a special feature on the future of Sunday league football in our area.