NOT a good week for the Craven & District Football League. Not only was the league programme virtually wiped out by frost, but also long-serving secretary Peter Marsden announced that he will not be seeking re-election to the most important job in the league at the end of the season.

The decision of the 67-year-old to stand down after over 30 in the post and over 40 as a member of the Craven League committee robs the game in the district of one of its most dedicated workers, although the decision will not take him out of the game altogether. Not by a long chalk.

He currently spreads his time between Craven League duties and being a director of the West Riding County FA, which is now a limited company, where he is chairman of the Refereeing sub-committee and a member of the Development Committee.

That work-load takes him to Leeds at least once a week and this, coupled with his longevity in the Craven role, has persuaded him that it is time to step down.

"After so long in the job, the excitement inevitably fades and being so busy also brings mistakes, which I'm not happy about," he says. "More importantly, it's time to let go and get someone in with new ideas and fresh enthusiasm. I'm not sure they even need to be from a soccer background. Just someone wanting a new hobby who can bring a fresh voice, a new face and some good ideas to the job.

"Craven Football has always been my first love and will remain so. I'm not walking away from the game and I'll be available for the committee and for some jobs. Anything to help. But I think the time has come for someone else to take over."

On the playing front, for the first time this season - and hopefully the last - there was a near total frost-out of fixtures in the Craven & District League on Saturday, with only a couple of matches in Division Three defying the weather on a day when most grounds were too dangerous to use.

Whilst any postponements cause concern, at least to date this season the League have had a fairly full first-half programme with a minimum of postponements. However, the weather can turn at any time, so the Management Committee is certainly not complacent about the situation and hopefully full fixture programmes will be the order of the day in the coming weeks.

This weekend's fixtures include:

Craven Premier Division: Bronte Wanderers v Cross Hills, Oxenhope Recreation v Keighley Lifts, Skipton LMS v Cononley Sports. Division One: Embsay Reserves v Cowling. Division Two: Barrowford United v McBrides, Chatburn v Skipton LMS Reserves, Cross Hills Reserves v Skipton Bulldogs Reserves, Grindleton Reserves v Intake Reserves, Silsden Athletic v Keighley Lifts Reserves. Division Three: Cowling Reserves v Earby Town, Gargrave Reserves v Skipton Town Reserves.

Slater Marchant Craven Challenge Cup: Quarter-final - Dent v Settle United.

Skipton Building Society Morrison Cup: Preliminary Round - Pendle Athletic v Bentham, Rimington v Embsay, Skipton Bulldogs v Grassington United, Earby v Carleton. Quarter-finals - Barnoldswick park Rovers v Grindleton, Horton v Earby Town.

Skipton Building Society Norman Pratt Trophy: Quarter-final - Settle united Reserves v Rimington Reserves, Cononley Sports Reserves v Ingleton Reserves.

Last week's results: Division Three - Earby 1 Hellifield 3, Pendle Athletic 0 Cononley Reserves 3.