Veterans 6-Man League season starts

Veterans League

The Veterans League season starts this Monday with a full programme of 6-Man League fixtures to set the tone for the new season. Here we look at each of the four divisions and seek out the match of the Day in each one.

DIVISION 1 FINAL 2025 TABLE

OPENING DAY DIVISION 1 FIXTURE PROGRAMME

Clayton West begin the defence of their Division 1 Champions title with a trip to play Thongsbridge A who only escaped relegation last year by two points ahead of both New Mill A and Brockholes A. Despite losing their last three fixtures they hung on to defend that two points gap and survived to play another season at the top level. They say it is always harder to defend a title win than win if for the first time. Clayton West will be looking to put such negative thoughts behind them and it would be a brave man to dismiss their chances of making it two on the trot. The last two seasons has seen Clayton West win the Division 2 and Division 1 titles but it was only a two-point lead over Waterloo last year.

The two teams promoted from Division 2 last season are Broad Oak A and Lindley Lib A. They have mid-table finishers in Shepley A and Netherton Con A to face and the outcome of both matches will provide a good guide as to their capabilities for the new season. Broad Oak will point to their Julie Fuller triumph last season as a guide to their capabilities at this level and wins on route to the final against Clayton West and third-place finishers, Marsh United A, provides a strong indication as to their potential.

The Division 1 Match of the Day looks to be between the two teams that finished last term in 3rd and 4th places as Marsh United A entertain Skel Windmill A. Last season the Skel boys won both matches against the Marsh team and will be looking to a resumption of such form to get their season off to a good start.

DIVISION 2 FINAL 2025 TABLE

OPENING DAY DIVISION 2 FIXTURE PROGRAMME

Almondbury Lib won the Division 3 table by 18 points over Milnsbridge BC B last season and will expect to feature around the top end of the Division 2 table this year. A first day trip to Golcar Lib will provide a good indication of how strong a bid that might be and I make this meeting my Division 2 Match of the Day.

Fellow promoted team Milnsbridge B will do well to come away with the majority of the points over a Holmfirth team that finished third last season. Three teams have been promoted from Division 3 as Denby Dale also went up and have an opening day home game against Paddock I&C who finished third from bottom last term, and that should be a must win match for the home side.

DIVISION 3 FINAL 2025 TABLE

OPENING DAY DIVISION 3 FIXTURE PROGRAMME

Last season the two Hemplow teams swapped places with the A team being relegated from Division 3 and the club's B team promoted from Division 4 as Champions by a huge 23 points. As the 2026 fixture programme shows that the Hemplow A team are still in Division 3 whilst the B side stay in Division 4 it is a hard call to work out which team is really the stronger and what personnel changes may have been taken. That is an internal matter for the club to sort out but makes forecasting very difficult. Lets wait and see what the opening weeks tell us about the strengths of the two respective teams.

Broad Oak have entered a B team into the league and they have been put in Division 3 and they will open their season with a home match against Marsh Lib B who finished bang in the middle (5th of 10) in Division 3 last season so that result will tell us a lot about the new team.

Clayton West B have been promoted from Division 4 and have to host a Thongsbridge B team who were in Division 2 last year so a two division jump may be a big call for the home team, or maybe not. Probably the most interesting match of the opening day programme so on that basis alone I make it my Division 3 Match of the Day.

DIVISION 4 FINAL 2025 TABLE

OPENING DAY DIVISION 4 FIXTURE PROGRAMME

One match has already been played in Division 4 with Thongsbridge C beating Marsh United B by 5-2 (95-88) last Tuesday so that is a boost for last season's wooden spoon team. It is likely to be a much more difficult encounter for the opening day winners when they travel this Monday to play Skel Windmill B who just missed out on promotion last year and will have a lot of support on going one step better this season.

Brockholes D are new to the league so that makes it difficult to judge how that might work out especially when you mix in the Hemplow factor (see Division 3 report) as the new boys have to travel to play Hemplow B. For my Division 4 Match of the Day I am again picking a team that finished in mid-table with Greenhead Park B welcoming relegated Holmfirth B to their Thorpe Green home base as I expect to learn more about the chances of both teams after this opener.