New Mill promoted in style

Veterans League

Last day of the season for teams in Divisions 3,4&5 of the 10-Man League

A 9-0 away win at Slaithwaite enabled the Division 3 Champions, New Mill A, to confirm their status as the best team in the Division on the back of seven wins in their last eight fixtures. Linthwaite Hall just hung on to second place with 6 wins out of 8 but that could have all gone belly-up after a last-day 2-7 away defeat at Kirkheaton C&BC. They were almost caught by the fast-finishing Brockholes A team who, after a mid-season run of 4 losses, put together seven straight wins to just fall short of claiming the second promotion place. For a second successive season they were one point short of taking the runners-up place, always the bridesmaid!. So a last day 8-1 home win over fourth-placed Golcar Lib B was to no avail and they were left rueing what might have been again.

A 6-3 home win for Skel Windmill over Paddock I&C did neither team any good in their last day attempt to avoid the relegation places. But they can take comfort from the fact that Holmfirth A reached an uncatchable 87 points after they beat Lindley Lib B 8-1 to preserve their Division 3 status, although well short of last season's top half of the table finish.

For the second successive season Kirkheaton Con B were beaten for a Division title by a worse Aggregate For total behind the Division Champions. This year it was Marsh Lib A who beat them to the Division 4 title although both teams were promoted. Both teams finished the season with 124 points with the Marsh Lib team running out Champions thanks to a 7-point difference in the Aggregate For totals (2797-2790). Last year it was a 2800-2863 score with a 63 point Aggregate For advantage to Brockholes A after the teams drew level with a 136=136 points tally in Division 5 with both teams being promoted.

Since then the Kirkheaton team have moved on whilst the Brockholes side are making an immediate return to Division 5 after only winning four games all season and ending up bottom of Division 4. They are joined by Lockwood Con B who lost 3-6 at home to Huddersfield RUBC which was a huge relief for David Brown Sports who lost 2-7 at home to Meltham B but escape the drop.

Netherton Con B collected a second Division 5 Champion's title in three years following a 7-2 home win over Greenhead Park that matched the Broad Oak B score in their home match against third-placed Lindley BC B. So Netherton Con and Broad Oak are celebrating promotion and the Netherton team know that such a position counts for nothing once the 2027 season starts after making an immediate return to the bottom division last season after a 2024 title success.

Almondbury BC B and Dalton were level on 82 points before the start of play this week and a 7-2 away win, only their 2nd of the season, at Dalton saw the losers collect the wooden spoon.