Vets 10-Man League first fixtures

Veterans League

The Veterans 10-Man League season commences on Tuesday with a full fixture programme covering all 60 teams in the five divisions. We take a look at some of the Day 1 fixtures of interest and select a Match of the Day in each of the five divisions.

FINAL DIVISION 1 TABLE 2025

Two Elland teams feature in the Division 1 programme this year with Elland C&BC returning after a two-year absence when being relegated as part of the restructering of the League in 2023. Then Elland WMC joined the League in 2024 and duly won the Division 3 title by a clear 23 points and followed that up last season by taking the Division 2 title by 24 points. Elland C&BC start their season with a trip to play Rastrick which will be a good benchmark for them as the Rastrick team won 11 and lost 11 of last season's fixtures to sit comfortably in mid-table. The Elland WMC side entertain Kirkheaton Con A.

The Division 1 Match of the Day is last year's third placed team Clayton West hosting the defending Champions, Lowerhouses. There was a 31 point gap between the teams last season which included a 6-3 home win for the Clayton West team over the Champions, one of only four defeats suffered all season for the Lowerhouses team. Longwood were only 5 points behind the 2025 Champions last year and will be looking to improve on that when they open their season with an away match against Lindley Lib A.

FINAL DIVISION 2 TABLE 2025

The two teams promoted into Division 2 start their seasons with home matches as Almondbury Lib host Broad Oak A and Hemplow A have a difficult looking encounter against last year's 3rd placed team Shepley and I make that the Division 2 Match of the Day.

Meltham A and Waterloo dropped out of Division 1 last season and will be looking for a good start to their quest for a prompt return to the top level. Meltham have home advantage when meeting Milnsbridge A who finished 4th last season but Waterloo have to travel to play Almondbury BC A. They will learn a lot about the challenge facing them after these initial matches.

FINAL DIVISION 3 TABLE 2025

Brockholes A and Linthwaite Hall both finished last season one-point behind promoted Hemplow A in the end-of-season Division 3 table so will be aiming to go one better this term. The Brockholes team host a newly promoted Kirkheaton C&BC A side whilst Linthwaite Hall travel to play the other promoted team and Division 4 Champions last year, Skel Windmill. My Match of the Day vote goes for the Brockholes A versus Kirkheaton C&BC A.

The two teams dropping down from Division 2 play two teams that finished last season in the bottom half of the table. Both of them are away from home with New Mill A at Thorpe Green and Golcar Lib B visiting Slaithwaite.

FINAL DIVISION 4 TABLE 2025

The two teams promoted into Division 4 from Division 5 were locked together on 136 points last season and both will be looking to get early wins under their belts this season. Second in that race last season were Kirkheaton Con B and they have a home match against Marsh Lib A who were relegated from Division 3 whilst last year's Division 4 Champions were Brockholes B and they have a tricky looking opener away at Marsh United B. David Brown Sports only escaped relegation last year by one-point and they will be pushed to make a positive start to the new season away to Milnsbridge B.

I'm namimg Marsh United B v Brockholes B as my Match of the Day in Division 4 as I think this could be a close affair.

FINAL DIVISION 5 TABLE 2025

Dalton v Hemplow B is my Division 5 Match of the Day as these two teams ended last season in the two places behind the promoted pair. This is a repeat of the opening day fixture last season when Dalton won 8-1 only to lag behind the Hemplow B side when it really mattered. In fact Dalton collected a League Double over the Hemplow side which amounted to half of the matches that they lost all season so they owe their opponents something for that.

Primrose Hill Lib were relegated by one point from Division 4 last season and will be looking to make a quick return starting with a home fixture against an Almondbury BC B side that has started a worrying habit of finishing in the bottom three over the last two seasons.