No nervous leaders this week

Veterans League

Preview of fixtures scheduled for Tuesday 18 July in Divisions 3, 4 & 5 of Veterans League

Focus on the top-of-the-table issues in these three divisions shows how comfortable most of the leaders are with little to undermine their progress this week although the Division 4 top match may prove interesting.

Golcar Lib 'B' and Almondbury Lib continue to forge ahead in a two-horse race for the Division 3 title. Both have Tuesday fixtures against teams in the bottom half of the table that they will expect to win. The leaders are at Skel Windmill who have lost 2 of their last 3 home matches whilst Almondbury Lib could catch up the two points they are adrift of the leaders with a big home win against strugglers Huddersfield Recreation Club. With Denby Dale and Brockholes 'A' likely to stay in contention with home matches this week against the two teams promoted from Division 4 at the end of last season but neither has consolidated their positions yet. Denby Dale are 11 points behind the leaders and entertain bottom team Meltham 'B' and Brockholes 'A' have Outlane as their Tuesday guests.

Paddock I&C and Kirkheaton C&BC 'A' look to have already settled for mid-table obscurity although the match in hand that Paddock have over the teams above them may prove useful yet but they need to get their A team form together soon and this week would be a good time to do that.

Lockwood Con 'B' have lost 7 of their last 8 fixtures by the same 3-6 scoreline and need to start reversing such results soon if they are to avoid a second successive relegation. They take on a visiting Slaithwaite team that will not want to lose this match which could raise fears of becoming embroiled in a relegation battle.

Two of the prime contenders for the Division 4 title go head-to-head at Lindley Lib where the club's 'B' team and table leaders welcome third-placed Marsh United 'B' with both teams on strong winning runs, the Lindley side having won their last four and Marsh United surpassing that with a six wins on the trot recent record. One of those sequences is about the be ended this week. Springwood beat Thongsbridge 'B' 9-0 when the teams met earlier in the season and will be looking to address that outcome when the teams meet again this week. The bottom three teams all have away fixtures this week and none of them have had an away win all season so expectations are not great of any major shuffling of places this week. Third from bottom Kirkheaton Con 'B' play the Rugby Club who are just above them in the table and would love to pull them back into the relegation dogfight whilst Ravensknowle Park have to go to Almondbury BC 'B' and Primrose Hill Lib are at Lindley BC 'B'.

Milnsbridge 'B' are the Division 5 leaders and with a home match against lowly New Mill 'B' could extend their 10-points lead over a condensed pack of 5 teams separated by just 2 points. Leading that group is Greenhead Park and they are the only one of that pack of 5 with a home match this week against David Brown Sports so will be looking to retain their prime challenging slot and increase the gap over the rest of the pack.

Brockholes 'B' are at bottom team Holmfirth 'B' whilst Broad Oak 'B' have a more difficult-looking proposition at Dalton. Netherton Con 'B' will be aiming for a third-straight away win when they go to play second from the bottom Kirkheaton C&BC 'B' and with things very tight between the 5 teams in the chasing pack it is feasible for a good win to result in a major lift in table placings.