THERE will be fewer Calder Valley derby matches in the veterans section of the Halifax League next season following Mytholmroyd WMC’s withdrawal from the top section.
That is bad news for Walsden and champions Mytholmroyd BC who will have to travel further for one fixture.
Mytholmroyd WM’s exit will not come as a major surprise to some after the club had to pull its Wednesday evening team out of the men’s league due to a shortage of players on the eve of the 2012 season.
WMC’s withdrawal means Illingworth Libs (now Moorside), who were due to be relegated, remain in the top flight and the spare place in Division Two is taken by new entrants Oxenhope.
Division One will have 12 teams, and will start a fortnight earlier than the other five divisions, which will have 10 teams. Greetland have entered a new B team in Division Six.
The veterans fixtures have been formalised and top section outfit Mytholmroyd BC will start with back to back matches against Ripponden. The opener on Thursday, April 4 is away. Kingston A are their next opponents.
Walsden start at home to Greetland A and play Sowerby West End in their third and fourth fixtures.
In Division Two, Todmorden Park are at home to Siddal Park in their opener on April 18 and Akroydon Victoria A are their next foes.
In the same section Luddenden Foot start at Laurel Crescent and go to Oxenhope two weeks later.
Hebden Bridge club Savile are in Division Five. They get under way with a trip to play Moorside B and their third and fourth games are against Pellon Social B.
Details for the Wednesday league have still to be finalised with officials waiting to hear whether Elland CA and BC will be running a second team.
The Hullen Edge club were meeting this week to decide if they had enough players for two teams.
The Halifax League, left without a sponsor when Collett Transport’s long-running support ended before last season, have a new backer in Halifax Carpet Company.
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