Selby Town are confident they will make the grade in their bid to achieve UniBond League status.

The Northern Counties East League premier division high-flyers have hosted the UniBond League's ground grading committee following their application to join the next tier in the football pyramid.

And the response was positive, leaving the Robins certain their Flaxley Road home will meet the requirements by the April 2002 deadline.

Title-rivals Pickering Town, who also want to make the next step up, met the UL committee on the same day but seemingly have a bit more work to do. Boss Jimmy Reid, however, is urging his club to grasp the nettle.

Clubs finishing in the top two of the NCEL can go up subject to their passing the ground requirements, with priority given to the champions. Selby currently lie second, with Pickering eighth with games in hand.

Selby's commercial manager, Bill Croad, said: "We have to undertake some work but not too much to meet the requirements.

"If we were to achieve UniBond status it would be a great boost for the community and Selby district in general. It shows Selby Town are really going places, building on the recent success of the teams."

The first team won the NCEL President's Cup last season, while their reserves lifted the Barkston Ash FA Challenge Cup and the veterans took the Umbro Veterans Over-35s Trophy.

The academy team head the Northern U19 Alliance League, and the club have also created junior teams and are developing links to the local community, including schools, notably Selby College who are developing a football course for their curriculum. This will in turn feed players into the club.

Croad added: "The whole ethos at Selby Town is one of expansion and integration into the community.

"They are looking at many different sources of financing their expansion ideas and are talking to sponsors, football federation bodies and local councils."

Potential sponsors are asked to contact Croad on (01757) 228372.

Pickering, meanwhile, are set to discuss how best they should go forward.

Boss Reid said: "The ground inspection went well. They've told us of three or four things that we need to do if we want to go on and we are going to have a meeting to see where we go from here. But there are a lot of financial packages out there."

Pickering need to add to their seating capacity of 150 and as part of those improvements are considering incorporating changing rooms into an expanded stand.

"If we wait until next year, the chance might not come then. These opportunities don't come that often and we don't want to miss it. We need to strike while the iron is hot."

Updated: 11:46 Saturday, November 24, 2001