FAIRFORD boss Tommy Dryden wants a quick decision in the Hellenic Premier promotion-relegation dispute so he can begin to plan effectively for next season.

The Cinder Lane side, who finished second-bottom in the division, were handed a shock reprieve as the seemingly safe Wootton Bassett failed to meet new ground regulations by the March 31 deadline and therefore found themselves relegated instead.

Bassett have since appealed and it is unclear whether the Hellenic League’s initial decision will stand, but Dryden wants a swift resolution as he believes it will help him with player recruitment ahead of the 2011/12 campaign.

The manager explained: “If they rule in favour of Wootton Bassett and we go down then we’ll just get on with it, but we want to know what’s going on so we can get prepared for next season.

“We’re talking to people but we don’t know whether we’re going to be in the Premier or Division One, and that’s a stumbling block because while some lads will come anyway, others might not.

“If we were able to say we were in the Premier or Division One that would make a difference, but at the minute it’s a bit of a grey area.

“We can’t structure our first team as regards players until we know what division we’re in, we’re in No Man’s Land at the moment.”

Dryden admitted he had sympathy for Bassett and their current plight, but warned that were the authorities to backtrack on their original decision, it would ‘set a precedent’.

“We finished second from bottom and normally we’d be looking at going down,” he said.

“I feel sorry for Wootton Bassett but at the end of the day the rules have been made, and if they do let them stay up they set a precedent.

“Rules aren’t made to be broken, so if a rule states ground improvements have to be done by a certain date then that’s what you have to do.”

“It’s a hard one. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Dryden arrived at Fairford in late October and was regularly frustrated in his bid to bring players to the club, given their poor start to the season and that potential signings were already fixed up with other clubs.

But this summer he expects it to be a different story as he looks to build a side capable of finishing in the upper echelons on the table - in whatever division Fairford find themselves in.

“Last season we (the new management) came in halfway through the season and had to go with what we had there,” said Dryden.

“Halfway through the season I was talking to players at established sides and we were trying to attract them to a side who were bottom of the table.

“This time everything is finished and we can get the players in that we want and put our own stamp on it.”