OXFORD City can look forward to Oxfordshire derbies against Didcot Town and Abingdon United after they were promoted to the Southern League.

The decision was rubber-stamped at a meeting of the FA's League Sanctions Committee in London last week.

The trio will compete in next season's Division 1 South & West Division where they will also face the likes of Thatcham, Marlow and Newport IOW.

City, who were relegated from the old Division 1 West on the last day of the 2004-5 season, return after winning the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division championship.

Didcot took their place after winning the GLS Football Hellenic League Premier Division at a canter, while Abingdon United go up after finishing third.

Thame United, who were relegated from Southern League Division 1 West will play in the Hellenic League Premier Division.

They will meet AFC Wallingford, who move across from the Combined Counties League.

Oxford City secretary, John Shepperd said: "We are very pleased with the outcome it's where we wanted to be.

"We could have been put in the Midland Division with Brackley Town, which would have meant a lot more travelling.

"We're fairly central now. The furthest we'll have to travel is Taunton and Paulton Rovers."

Shepperd added: "We're looking forward to getting back in the Southern League, for one thing, the standards of the grounds are much higher."

The Southern League season is due to start on August 19.