The Solly Sports Central Yorkshire League are banking on a weekly lottery to boost their coffers.

The league made a loss of £7,378 on the year ending September 30, 2010 but these were due to exceptional circumstances.

The introduction of lap-top scoring (netbooks, licence, training and dongles etc) cost a one-off £9,131, while legal fees involving the failed merger with the Leeds-West Riding League cost £2,414.

The league, who still have accumulated funds of £30,980, have also funded the Twenty20 competition due to the lack of a sponsor but the weekly lottery, suggested by league president John Stabler, could well prove their saviour.

He said: “The league had an excess of expenditure over income last year of £7,378. This scheme would enable us to virtually recoup those losses in two years.

“Provided we get the necessary backing from clubs, we would intend to run the scheme for a minimum of two years, commencing sometime in April.”

In a letter to clubs at the league’s annual meeting this month at Ossett Cricket Club, Stabler said: “We (the league) have a finance sub-committee which is working very hard to come up with ideas to improve the league’s current financial position.

“As you will be aware, the league have invested substantially in lap-top scoring hardware.

“We have also funded the Twenty20 competition, due to the loss of a sponsor, and although the amount paid to the Leeds-West Riding League in lieu of expenses, caused by the aborted merger talks, was nominal, the legal costs involved were somewhat higher than anticipated.

“Hence the need for additional funding.”

Stabler added: “I have had some experience of fund-raising from my time at York RLFC, Gateshead Thunder and Hull FC, and I have suggested to the Central Yorkshire League management committee that a lottery could be a useful fund-raiser, while at the same time offering member clubs a chance to reduce their financial input.”

The 27 clubs (Batley will be excluded on religious grounds but will have the fee added to their annual subscription) would pay £260 a year into the lottery (£5 per week membership or £1 a day) and the prize fund would be £100 per day (Monday-Friday) for 52 weeks of the year, with a yearly jackpot of £5,000 paid out at the end of November.

Of the £5 per week, £2.50 would go to the lottery operator and £2.50 to the Central Yorkshire League, and any winnings would be paid direct to the member club.

It is intended to run the lottery for a minimum of two years, but clubs will have the final say at the league’s pre-season meeting on Thursday, April 7.