Bradford League Second Division club Drighlington will fold unless there is a last-minute miracle.

The club have only 14 players on their books and they need 28 by the March 31 registration deadline.

Chairman Donald Gamble said: "I am afraid it is looking grim for the club. Unfortunately there is just me to sort this lot out and I am not prepared to go any further now. This has gutted me.

"We are still members of the league and there is a meeting a week on Thursday but we may well be withdrawing.

"I rang eight different Bradford League clubs last week and there were no players available. I got the impression quite a few clubs are just on the borderline with players. They have just got enough. There is not a lot of hope left for us. We need quality players - it is no good losing every week by ten wickets - the heads would just go down."

Eight first-team players have moved on, leaving the club wondering how it can continue.

Long-serving player Andy Measey announced his retirement from the side at the end of last season - and that may have been the start of the exodus.

Four more players sought transfer forms in the close season and last week, four more announced they were leaving.

"I cannot go on any longer like this - with just me running the club," said Gamble.

"Last Tuesday, four of the senior players left us and went to Butterhsaw St Pauls. What it amounts to is that we have not got a first team.

"When the players left us it was a complete surprise."

Drighlington finished mid-table last season, winning nine of their 28 league games.

Bradford League chairman Graham Reid said: "We were aware of possible problems several months ago and we asked the club for assurances that everything was in order. We received what we thought was that assurance.

"We are obviously very concerned about this development and will be meeting to address the matter."

Drighlington joined the Bradford League in 1982. Before that they spent 89 years in the Central Yorkshire League.

They yo-yoed several times between the First and Second Divisions - their last promotion being in 1999.

But in recent years they have struggled both on and off the field.