Dales Council League fixture secretary Ken Firth has had a winter to forget.

He has had to send out FOUR different sets of fixtures due to clubs dropping out over the close season.

Leeds Sikh B, Pudsey St Lawrence B and Savile Stars B, the latter as recently as early April, were the teams to cause the problems.

“I have had a very difficult winter, as indeed have the whole management committee,” said Firth.

“Leeds Sikh B withdrew in January, to be followed by Pudsey St Lawrence B and, the week before the pre-season meeting, Savile Stars.

“My pen and paper nearly went through the window several times! Originally we were going to have three divisions of 11 clubs, with one club in each division having a free week.

“Then we went to 12 teams in divisions A and B and eight in Division C, who would play each other three times.

“Now we have all three divisions playing 22 games, with 12 teams in Division A, 11 in Division B and seven in Division C, with the spare dates being made up by inter-divisional matches between teams in Division B and Division C.

“We are here to give teams cricket, so we have decided to make the inter-divisional matches count for points, although some of the games might be a bit one-sided.”