Swindon may be one of Britain's most affluent towns, but the one of the county's oldest football leagues is the region's poor relations.

The Swindon and District League is so hard up that its committee had to deliberate for an hour over the purchase of some footballs at a meeting last week.

Youngsters playing for the league's representative sides feel impoverished when they take on other leagues.

The Mid-Wilts League, the Oxford B-Line League and the leagues in Reading and Bristol kit their children out in sponsored training gear, but the Swindon and District League can barely run to a match strip.

League general secretary Stuart Morgan said: "The other kids have tracksuits and training kit with the league's name on, and loads of practice balls.

"All we have is the match strip and one match ball.

"Our managers have to bring balls from their clubs, and other things like water bottles and first-aid kit."

The league runs representative sides, made up of the best youngsters in each age category, from under-8s to under-16s, and occasionally men's sides.

Mr Morgan feels that these teams are extremely important, both for the players involved and for the prestige of the league.

However, the representative teams cost money that the league does not have.

He said: "There has been talk that if the finances don't improve, we may have to review the way we run them.

"We don't want to stop, but it is a struggle to finance them. It is expensive to keep the sides going. It cost nearly £3,000 last year.

"Our teams have done very well against other leagues and players are always being picked up for trials at professional clubs.

"It's a shame we can't seem to build on that success.

"There are so many major businesses in this town, you would think that one of them would want their company name on our backs."

The league is financed by club subscriptions and sponsorship from Honda, Don Rogers Sports and the Evening Advertiser, plus disciplinary fines.

A major cost comes from staging matches under lights.

Mr Morgan said: "Most games are played in midweek under floodlights, and that can cost £100 per game.

"We might have to play games at weekends, but that would interfere with club matches, and we already have problems with fixture congestion."