NEWLY-formed Ludlow FC is set to bring West Midlands League football back to the town next season.

Luke Hicks, formerly with the AFC Ludlow side disbanded at the end of 2015-16, is to take the managerial reins with the start-up club accepted into Division Two, the eighth tier of England’s non-league pyramid.

The Shropshire football fraternity was left in shock at AFC’s demise due to a lack of players in July last year shortly after they had finished third in West Midlands One.

But with the new venture backed by businessman Stuart Danks and his Shrewsbury-based company DM Recruitment, 27-year-old Hicks is already in the throes of building a team.

A meeting for prospective players and committee members is scheduled for March 28 (6.30) at the Charlton Arms pub, Ludlow, with the boss anticipating his side having a familiar feel.

“It has been in the pipeline since the start of the year,” said Hicks. “Kev Bursnell, who runs Ludlow under-14s, got in touch with me and Jamie Edwards to see whether the interest was there so we put out the feelers.

“A few of the lads said they would be keen to come back and it went from there. Most were fed up of going to play elsewhere because we had a good team.

“Because we were up towards the top of Division One, we were starting to struggle for a team with AFC. Dave (Cooper, AFC Ludlow manager) wanted us to push on to the Premier Division but we felt we would struggle.

“Maybe we could have carried on but needed a couple of seasons to retain our status and bring through a few younger lads.

“It was a shame things didn’t work out back then but we want to start again, keep it for local lads and give it a real go.”

Addressing the off-field running of the new venture, Hicks added: “There have been a few names mentioned but nothing definite yet. Jamie Edwards played for AFC and plans to retire, I think they want him involved.

“It will be local people who were around the old club but as yet, no one who ran AFC is involved.

“We have got a main sponsor. Stuart is backing Kev’s team in Ludlow’s youth set up and has come forward to help with junior kits, tracksuits and all the home games.

“There are a few other businesses interested in helping out in other ways so it is all looking pretty good at the moment. There has been plenty of interest.”

Anyone interested in playing for Ludlow FC or helping out behind the scenes should contact Hicks on 07851 078865.

“We are going to start training in May to get a good pre-season behind us,” he said. “We hope to set up seven or eight friendlies to get the ball rolling.”