Can Division 1 leaders stay top all season?

Veterans League

A preview of the Veterans 6-Man League fixtures for Monday 20 April

The most interesting fixture in Monday's Division 1 programme places promoted Broad Oak A away to 2nd in the table Marsh United A. The Broad Oak side started life in the top division with a resounding 6-3 home win to go third in the table but now comes one of the biggest tests they are likely to face all year when playing away to last season's third-placed finishers who have started where they left off.

Leaders and the defending Champions, Clayton West A, have already posted a statement away win with an even stronger team line-up and this week play Milnsbridge A and I can see them sitting in top spot all season.

Whilst we all know that it is a 22-match season no team wants to feature at the foot of the table even at this early stage of the year so when the bottom two teams meet up there is a lot at stake and that is what we find this Monday. The bottom two teams meet up as Skel Windmill A host Thongsbridge A with the loser likely to be propping up the other 11 teams after Monday's results are all in.

The top three teams in Division 2 all have away fixtures lined up for this week with the most difficult one being the early leaders, Holmfirth A, travelling to play Lockwood Con. No team likes to lose their opening day fixture as it can become an unwelcome habit especially if that defeat has happened on their own green. Two teams are in that position as Brockholes A and Denby Dale were the only home teams to lose their opening day matches. That puts the pressure on them for this week's away trips especially as they are playing the two teams below tham in the table. Longwood and Milnsbridge take up the bottom two places after losing away matches last week and they will be keen to get a win on their playing records this Monday.

Hemplow A had a great Division 3 away win last week to put them at the head of the table and they need to follow that up with a home win this week. Their opponents are Linthwaite Hall who had it all on to scrape a 4-3 home win courtesy of sharing the aggregate points after an 88-88 drawn scoreline. Crosland Moor sit level on points with the leaders and they have to play at Lindley Lib B this week against a team used to being better placed than their current situation implies.

That also applies to Primrose Hill Lib who are surprised to find themselves at the foot of the table when they finished last season one place behind the third promoted team. This week they have to play away to the new team to the League, Golcar Lib B, who will also be keen to collect a first win in the 6-Man League season and move up and out of the relegation places.

The prospering Brockholes club are able to field a D team this season and they have started life in Division 4 alongside their C team although both experienced opening day defeats. Now with home advantage the D team will still do well to overcome Monday's opponents Skel Windmill B who missed out on promotion by one point last season.

Marsh United B are the early leaders after an encouraging first day away win and now welcome another winning team in Hemplow B who swapped places with the club's A team last season. There is one Friday fixture this week as Thongsbridge C take on Netherton Con B who have made a bright start to their season with a maximum 7-0 win at home to Shepley B.