League News
The Colne Valley League has just published their 2021 fixture programme which shows an alarming drop in team numbers with 6 of the 23 who played in the 2019 competition pulling out. That is a drop of 26% which is the highest we have recorded in our table below of local and neighbouring leagues. The teams withdrawn are Lowerhouses, Lockwood Con, Marsden Park and the B teams from Longwood, Golcar Lib and Broad Oak. The first set of fixtures will be staged on Wednesday 2 June.
With the Works, Junior and Liberal Leagues now publishing their 2021 fixture programmes we can also update our records on the team numbers in each of the local and neighbouring leagues. The numbers continue to be alarming with the three latest additions continuing the trend of falling numbers. The Liberal League has a net loss 3 of their 22 member teams from 2019 which is a 13.6% drop.
The Works League sees a similar drop of almost 13% with totals dropping from 39 to 34 teams for 2021.
The Junior League has lost three teams from 2019 those being Brockholes, Almondbury BC and Broad Oak but this is balanced out by the recruitment of three new teams representing Cowcliffe, Lindley BC and Spen Victoria to show a net balance of no change.
There are still a number of teams to declare their 2021 numbers including the Huddersfield Saturday League.
My error, my apologies. Lindley Lib have not withdrawn their teams from the Liberal League. Thanks Martin for pointing this out. I have amended the article accordingly. Sorry. However the totals and figures are correct and there has been a drop in teams from 22 in 2019 to 19 this season.
The Liberal League has a net loss 3 of their 22 member teams from 2019 which is a 13.6% drop. The teams dropping out being Lockwood Con, Milnsbridge Liberal, Marsden Liberal and the two teams from the Lindley Liberal Club. They have managed to attract two new teams from Cowcliffe and a B team from Almondbury Lib.
Fake news. Lindley Libs have not withdrawn according to one of our captains as at 10.50 this morning.