Six bid to join Halifax AFL

Warley Rangers have withdrawn from the Haslem-Sheppard Halifax AFL but there could be six new teams for the 2017-18 campaign.
Members of the Mixenden United team from the left are, 

 BACK:-Martin Juliff, Jamie Lesley, Andy Greenwood, 
            Richard Stock, Robin Miles, Stuart Sinclair, Nicky
            Hirst and Phillip Brass.

FRONT:-Dan Johnson, Craig Hodgson, Martin
              Woodhouse, Chris Woodhouse, Noel McGurk
              and Mark Cahill.Members of the Mixenden United team from the left are, 

 BACK:-Martin Juliff, Jamie Lesley, Andy Greenwood, 
            Richard Stock, Robin Miles, Stuart Sinclair, Nicky
            Hirst and Phillip Brass.

FRONT:-Dan Johnson, Craig Hodgson, Martin
              Woodhouse, Chris Woodhouse, Noel McGurk
              and Mark Cahill.
Members of the Mixenden United team from the left are, BACK:-Martin Juliff, Jamie Lesley, Andy Greenwood, Richard Stock, Robin Miles, Stuart Sinclair, Nicky Hirst and Phillip Brass. FRONT:-Dan Johnson, Craig Hodgson, Martin Woodhouse, Chris Woodhouse, Noel McGurk and Mark Cahill.

Shroggs Park based Rangers finished fifth in the Premier Division in the latest season and reached the Halifax FA Saturday Cup final, only to be thrashed 9-2 by Huddersfield Amateur at the Shay recently.

Manager Matthew Chapman had struggled to raise a team on occasions, sometimes having to play himself.

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The club was formed in 2002 by a merger of Warley Rangers Juniors and Warley Town’s open age teams.

Halifax AFL fixture secretary David Rattigan said Warley had cited retirements and a lack of commitment from some players as reasons for their withdrawal.

The six new applicants are Brighouse Sports Reserves, Shelf FC Reserves, Mixenden United, AFC Ovenden, The Dutchman and Stainland United.

There are a couple of familiar names among that sextet with Mixenden United and Stainland United successful in the AFL in the past.

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Mixenden had to withdraw from the league three matches into the latest season due to a shortage of players, having finished third in the Premier in 2015-16.

The 1994 Challenge Cup final winners had been in existence for more than half a century and managers Andy Greenwood and Stuart Lorimer had battled hard to save them.

Stainland United won the Challenge Cup in 2003-04 and did the league and cup double in 2006-07.

Their second team folded in 2011 and their first team followed suit after finishing next to bottom of Division One in 2014-15.

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Shelf FC had indicated they would be entering a second team after their Challenge Cup final win over Ryburn United recently while Brighouse Sports are another up-and-coming club.

The Dutchman are from Boothtown while AFC Ovenden were interested in joining the league last season and are expected to comprise young players from the re-emerging Ovenden West Riding set-up.

The applications will be considered at the AGM on Monday, June 12.

The AFL finished last season with 11 teams in the Premier, 12 in Division One and 12 in Division Two.

The league is also looking for a new main sponsor. Anyone interested should contact Rattigan on 07752245763.