Rainworth Miners Welfare's agonising wait is over, and they will be playing Northern Counties East League football next season.

A meeting of the Central Midlands League's management committee agreed to release runners-up Barton Town and third-placed Rainworth, along with champions Bottesford Town, to fill the vacancies in the Northern Counties East's First Division caused by the creation of a new regionalised Divison One in the UniBond League.

A statement issued by Central Midlands League secretary Jeff Worrall reads: "I wish to inform you that at the CMFL management committee meeting held on the evening of 15th May 2007, the committee voted in favour of allowing Barton Town OB FC, Bottesford Town FC and Rainworth MW FC to be promoted to the NCEFL.

The committee wish all these clubs every success in the forthcoming season and also for future seasons to come."

Rainworth chairman Brian Reece said: "I'm delighted by the news, absolutely over the moon.

"It's what we have worked for all season and is the culmination of and the just reward for everything that has gone into this season.

"We wanted to mark the Silver Jubilee of the club's 1981-82 run to Wembley by winning promotion to the Northern Counties East League and we have achieved that. It's great news for us."

Wrens manager Rudy Funk added: "I'm really thrilled for everyone at the club. It has been a year of hard work both on and off the pitch, and I really do believe that our promotion is deserved.

"I also want to say a big thank you to the Central Midlands League. It shows what a strong league it is, and how far it has come over the years, that it is able to release three clubs for promotion to the next level.

"It's the beginning of another new era for this football club. Everyone still talks about the achievements of 1982 and rightly so, but in terms of the long term future of this club our promotion to the Northern Counties East League is the equal of that, because we will be playing at a higher level of football than ever before.

"I also want to say a big thank you to everyone on and off the field who has helped to bring this about."

Secretary Les Lee said: "I was always confident that we would go up, and like everyone else at the club I'm thrilled by the news. Everyone has worked so hard to achieve this.

"Now we're preparing to take the club another stage further forward and I'm looking forward to organising our first FA Cup campaign.

"This is the best thing to happen to the club in 25 years."