Out-voted clubs look elsewhere

The Central League is disbanding and talks have been going on for months about accommodating their clubs within the Halifax League as part of the Yorkshire pyramid system.

Fourteen clubs are on the lookout for a new league and Central League clubs voted 6-5 recently in favour of joining the Halifax League en bloc.

However, the five clubs who were outvoted have gone to the Drakes Huddersfield League asking if they can be accommodated within that set-up next year.

The five are understood to be Holmebridge, Edgerton and Dalton, Cartworth Moor, Almondburians and Nortonthorpe.

Three Central League clubs who had applied to join the Halifax League independently were accepted by the executive on Monday, subject to approval by existing clubs at AGM.

Birchencliffe, Leymoor and Mount are subject to the usual admission criteria at the AGM but positive ground inspections have already taken place.

Halifax League officials had been hoping for a quick decision on how many clubs were likely to join them in 2017.

The plan is to have two Conferences next year, roughly divided geographically by the M62, with most of the Central League clubs in their own section.

It is thought that increased travelling times might have been a concern.

However, that might only happen in the cup or if the ex-Central League teams were to accept the option of promotion.