Leaders v Champions this Tuesday

Winter League

Preview of the Tuesday fixtures in Divisions 8 & 9

Golcar C&BC incurred a 20-point penalty for declining promotion last season after winning the Division 8 title.

There is an interesting Division 8 fixture at Lockwood Con on Tuesday with the leaders, Hemplow A, pitched against 5th placed Golcar C&BC. It is interesting because the Golcar C&BC team are the reigning Division 8 Champions and remain in Division 8 after declining promotion and incurring a 20-point penalty last season. In any other season this would be the top two teams clashing with plenty at stake. As it is there is plenty at stake for the Hemplow A side in their first season in the League and going for promotion and favourite for the title as well. A 20-point penalty is probably too big an ask for any team although the Golcar C&BC did finish 29 points ahead of the third-placed team last season which influenced the length of the penalty.

Second-placed Lockwood Con C have lost their last two matches which has brought Broad Oak B into the promotion picture which will be a big driver for both teams when they meet this Tuesday. Two teams stuck on the 20-point marker also go head-to-head with the loser being assured of a relegation place at the end of the day which makes the Meltham B versus Linthwaite Hall B an important meeting. Although Cowcliffe C have won more matches than the two teams immediately above them in the table they remain at the foot of the table with a difficult looking Tuesday fixture against a Mirfield B side still harbouring thoughts of promotion.

Division 9 leaders Greenhead Park put their unbeaten record on the line when taking on third-placed Marsh Lib B this Tuesday. When the two teams met earlier in the season it ended in a 4-4 draw which remains the only match that the leaders haven't won this season so it will be an interesting outcome and a real threat to the seemingly march to the title for the new team from Greenhead Park.

Interest at the opposite end of the table focuses on the bottom two teams going up against each other as Brockholes C meet Almondbury BC C. The Badgers are still looking for their first win of the season whereas the Almondbury team's only success came in the reverse of this fixture last October.

There is another Kirkheaton Derby match when the Cons team take on the C&BC B team. Both teams have 36 points with the winner reigniting promotion hopes. That may stir the Kirkheaton C&BC C team to pull out all the stops in defending their 2nd promotion place when they play Mirfield C this week.