CHAIRMAN John Ryan has eased fears that Weymouth would have to remove one of their Saturday teams from the Dorset League.

However, there are still plenty of big talking points set for tonight’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at Redlands (7pm).

The Seasiders, who have struggled for availability in their playing ranks, called the meeting after the club’s second XI were forced to scratch a contest in County Division Three two weeks ago.

But with a slight boost in numbers, Ryan is now confident the club can sustain its current schedule of games for the rest of the campaign.

He told Echosport: “When we first called it (the meeting), the big worry was that we were going to be so weak in our teams and understaffed with players.

“We had just scratched a game and were wondering whether this meeting was going to be about whether we were going to have to pull a side out or not.

“However, in the couple of weeks since, the scare of that game being scratched, people have become more available. Exams have finished and people have come back from university.

“The discussion now will be based more on the way forward after this season.

“It will be based around the fact that if we don’t get relegated, do we then ask for relegation and, if a relegation takes place, do we ask to go down one league or two leagues.”

As well as the possibility of asking to drop down Dorset’s cricketing pyramid, chairman Ryan also indicated that the possibility of switching home grounds in the future will also be discussed.

He added: “Not only do we have the lack of quality to sustain playing at this level at the moment, the cost of playing at Redlands is a lot with being in the Premier League as well.

“We are shelling out a lot of money for not very good games of cricket at the moment.

“We need a separate task force to help the club sustain itself over the next few years while we look at a possible move away from Redlands. That is what we will have to discuss.

“We are now going to have to look at possibly moving to another ground on a funding basis from grants or ground sharing with someone at a lesser cost.”

Meanwhile, on the field, Ryan, Laurie Whyte and Paul Payne are set to return for the home clash with Wimborne & Colehill tomorrow (1pm).

Alex Mortimore, Will McKay and Hayden White miss out and Michael Irrgang is due to fly back to Australia.

Elsewhere, Weymouth Seconds visit Beaminster in County Division Three.