The big news in the Bradford Sunday Alliance this week has been the shock resignation of one of the founder members of the Premier Division - Green Man.

The club, originally known as Robin Hood 80, was up there with the Oakenshaws and the East Bowling Unitys in the middle to late 1980s. It became one of only five sides to win the Alliance Premier Division.

The club, Bradford and district winners in 1989, started to decline in the mid-1990s.

After suffering relegation to Division One, Green Man returned to the Premier Division briefly with a young side before suffering a second relegation.

An amalgamation with Northward seemed to have saved them but a dreadful no-points start from their first ten games this season, coupled with a recent player shortage, has forced the club to resign.

The club will have some lasting fame for the three young players that turned out for them before achieving Football League status - Micky Holmes (Bradford City and Wolves), Michael Williams (Sheffield Wednesday) and Chris Brandon (Torquay).

The draw for the next stage of the FA Umbro over 40s section has been made, with 32 clubs competing in eight groups and the group winners going through to a quarter-final knockout.

The sole local team - Whetley Lane Vets - are in a group with Billingham Strollers, twice winners and one of the favourites this time, Sanderson Ford (Bull) and Old Ashtonians, who finished runners up in Whetley's group and were the only side to beat them. The first game is on January 30 when Whetley play Old Ashtonians.

Top game in the Alliance tomorrow is a Premier Division meeting between new leaders Bradford Moor and champions East Bowling Unity at King George V playing fields.

Moor beat EBU before just before Christmas and with Unity going into the game on the back of three successive defeats, a double cannot be ruled out.

One player missing is Unity striker Tim Thornton who signed off his Unity career for the moment with a fine individual goal against Stanley Road last Sunday. Football commentator Tim is off to Australia for a three-month radio station engagement and he is due for a trial Down Under with a semi-pro side.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.