The Shropshire Senior Cup will be a direct shoot-out between Shrewsbury Town and AFC Telford United until 2011 as the famous competition undergoes a revamp.

The decision has been taken by Shropshire Football Association officials to help ease the burden of growing fixture congestion over the next two years.

It means Midland Alliance teams Market Drayton, Bridgnorth and Shifnal – who have been involved in the competition in recent seasons – will all miss out on their chance to pit themselves against the county’s ‘big two’ in competitive matches.

Chiefs have been forced to play catch-up in the competition after last season’s final between Shrewsbury and Telford was postponed because of poor weather.

Hopes of fitting the game in during the season have been dashed by packed fixture lists for both clubs, meaning the 2008-9 showpiece will now be staged on Tuesday, July 21 at the Prostar Stadium.

The 2009-10 final will be played between the same two teams at the New Bucks Head on a date to be confirmed this October or November, while the 2010-11 final has already been pencilled in for July 20 next year, at the Prostar Stadium.

“The pressure on the fixture list of all clubs is growing all the time so this is in place until 2010-11 and it will be assessed again then,” said Shropshire FA chief executive David Rowe.

Midland Alliance trio Drayton, Bridgnorth and Shifnal will be transferred back to compete in the Shropshire Challenge Cup.

That has caused some disappointment at Drayton, who are on the brink of winning the Alliance title and earning promotion to the UniBond League – step four on the football pyramid and just two levels below Telford.

“If that was to be the case I would find it very disappointing if we were playing in the UniBond League yet not accepted into the senior competition in the county,” said Drayton boss Simon Line.

Bridgnorth chairman Eric Eagles, however, insists he can understand the Shropshire FA’s quandary.

“My sympathy is with them,” he said. “It would be nice to be in the competition with Shrewsbury and Telford but it’s a real issue trying to juggle the dates to get the game in.”