Crunch time at foot of Division 1 table

Veterans League

Preview of the full Monday 30 June 6-Man League fixture programme

There is a key fixture at the foot of the Division 1 table this Monday as two of the relegation-threatened teams go head-to-head against each other. Brockholes A and Golcar C&BC sit just above New Mill A and with an eight-points gap to safety it increasingly looks like 2 of the current bottom 3 face relegation at the end of the season. But which two?

Brockholes look the in-form favourites to benefit from the timing of this match as they have won their last two fixtures by the same 4-3 scoreline including one against the leaders Clayton West A. With a fixture against the third team in danger, New Mill A, to follow the next week this could be a deciding fortnight in the relegation battle. Golcar C&BC and New Mill A have both only won one match all season and must fear facing their main rival Brockholes A over this period. That is especially the case for Golcar C&BC as they have to face their rivals on their own green.

Pressure at the top end of the table remains on the teams chasing the long-time leaders Clayton West A who this week have to travel to play 4th-placed Thongsbridge A. Having lost their home match against 2nd-placed Marsh United A last week Thongsbridge cannot afford to slip up again if they are to remain in the dog-fight for the title. Meanwhile Marsh United A have a home fixture against Slaithwaite who have won their last 3 matches to improve into 5th position.

Waterloo are poised to benefit from any slip-up by any of their title rivals with a very winnable trip to play New Mill A and will be looking to improve on their third-place in the table. Two points separate four teams in mid-table and they have their own mini-league going as they face each other this Monday. Shepley A (7th on 28 points) play Netherton Con A (8th on 27 points) whilst Milnsbridge A (6th on 28 points) have home advantage over Skel Windmill A (9th on 26 points).

There is an enticing 3rd v 1st encounter lined up in Division 2 this Monday as the leaders, Holmfirth A, visit Broad Oak. Having lost their 100% win record last week the Holmfirth side will be keen to get swiftly back to winning ways but wouldn't have picked an away match at new boys Broad Oak as the ideal recovery point.

With 2nd placed Lindley Lib A on a run of 4 straight wins, playing at 4th placed Golcar Lib we are set up for a pivotal moment in the 2025 title race. The same could be true at the other end of the table as the bottom two teams face each other with just 2 points between them. Bottom of the pile is Thongsbridge B who have to go to Longwood in fear that the current two-point gap could become much wider.

Paddock I&C will be watching the outcome of that match with much interest as they could be overtaken by either or both of these teams if they don't use home advantage over Brockholes B to add to their solitary league win. Crosland Moor and Marsh Lib A are also in danger of slipping deeper into the relegation dropzone as they go up against each other this week.

Unbeaten Division 3 leaders, Almondbury Lib, will fully expect to take their winning run to nine matches when travelling to play relegation-threatened Holmfirth B. With only one win all season and that was against bottom of the table Hemplow A, the Holmfirth team are hardly full of confidence, whereas the opposite is true of the table-toppers. Surely only one outcome is likely.

Denby Dale sit 2nd some 16 points behind the leaders and with an away fixture at bottom team Hemplow A and with their main rival for the second promotion place, Milnsbridge B, without a match this week it presents a real opportunity to widen that gap between the two rivals. The top three teams in the table have all played one more match than the other eight teams so it is important that those eight teams take maximum points from those catch-up fixtures.

Two of those teams meet up this week as Greenhead Park continue to impress when playing on their new home green of Thorpe Green. Having won all four matches played there this season (whilst losing all 3 away matches). They don't have that comfort blanket around them this week as they travel to meet Linthwaite Hall who have lost their last two fixtures.

Primrose Hill Lib have lost all three of their away fixtures this season and face another this Monday when going to meet Lindley Lib B who may be very much in the dropzone but have won their last two home matches and will be aiming for a hat-trick of wins to ease their relegation worries.

Just above the dropzone are Elland C&BC and Marsh Lib B with one point between them and they go up against each other this week. Both will be aiming for maximum points to prompt a revival in fortunes and avoid a defeat that could signal the beginning of a relegation fight.

The Division 4 table is a little lopsided with teams having played anywhere between 10 and 7 league fixtures with Marsh United B having played the most and so sit at the top of the table. They have to travel to play at Clayton West B this Monday and the home team are on a run of four consecutive wins so no easy points to be gained here with only 11 points between the teams but Clayton West having played three less matches.

Second-placed Hemplow B are without a fixture this week so Marsh United's tenure in top spot will continue for at least a further week as third-placed Skel Windmill B cannot overtake them regardless of the outcome of their home match against lowly Brockholes C.

Four teams sit on the 20 points mark at the bottom of the table and all four avoid each other this week. Meltham are the only one of those four teams with a home match this week so will be keen to build on that advantage when hosting New Mill B. The visitors have gone off the boil somewhat recently after winning 4 of their first 5 fixtures but have now lost their last two matches albeit against top three opponents. A return to playing a lesser opponent could revitalise their season which will do nothing for Meltham's own aims of moving away from the nether regions of the table.

Away days for the other three 20-point-markers with Shepley B (at Greenhead Park B), Brockholes B (at Skel Windmill B) and Thongsbridge C (at Netherton Con B) completing the programme.