JIM Rushe ushered in a new start for Northwich Victoria after winning an appeal against a Football Conference call to kick the club out of the league.

Vics’ owner told the Guardian he believed justice had been done following a tense hearing at the FA’s headquarters on Monday.

Defeat could have forced the club’s closure.

“I’m chuffed to bits,” he said.

“It’s a massive relief after what we’ve been through – our world fell apart when we got a letter from the league saying they wanted us out.

“I said their rules were unfair and the FA agreed.”

On Friday the Conference told Rushe that Vics would not be able to enter next year’s competition after breaking finance rules.

League bosses said the Northwich Victoria Football Club (2004) Limited had entered administration too late.

Rushe immediately lodged an appeal with the game’s governing body, hiring top solicitor Richard Cramer to fight his case.

It cost him thousands of pounds.

“Worth every penny,” he said.

“I was ready to fight them in whatever way I could because I felt we’d been really harshly treated; the league want to boot us out using a rule that they intend to change next week because they think it’s out of date.”

The FA upheld his appeal.

Vics will now start next season in Blue Square North with a 10-point handicap.

For more, pick up this week's Northwich Guardian.