(Image: Telegraph & Argus)
BOLTON Villas have been given until the end of the month to tell the Aire-Wharfe League about their intentions for next season.
The club have been relegated from Division One, but they have no permanent ground after being unable to use All Alone Road following a ruling this summer at Bradford Crown Court.
Since then, they have been using Jer Lane and Woodhouse Grove School as temporary accommodation, but withdrew their second XI from league matches.
Until the league find out from Villas, they are unable to give a total picture of which clubs are in which divisions in 2027.
However, one thing that did become clear at the Airedale & Wharfedale League Umpires’ Association annual meeting at Otley RUFC is that there will be no inter-divisional matches next season.
With Beckwithshaw leaving at the end of the 2025 season to join Yorkshire Premier League North there was an imbalance of fixtures, which was solved by teams in Division One playing the same team from Division Two twice to alleviate the shortfall.
Bardsey and Follifoot left at the end of this season to also join Yorkshire Premier League North, but Hepworth & Idle are joining from the Craven League for the 2027 season.
Instead of inter-divisional matches, which saw Division One Villas inflict one of only two league defeats on Division Two champions Green Lane for example, incoming Umpires’ Association president Dave Bell announced that the first round of the Waddilove Cup will take place on a Saturday.
The name on the gates at All Alone Road says Bolton Villas, but they have instead been using Jer Lane and Woodhouse Grove School. (Image: Telegraph & Argus)
Re-elected were vice-president Bernard Thornton and secretary Neal French, with Alan Parkinson taking over as treasurer from Damian Smith, who has re-located to the Lake District.
Bell replaces incumbent league president Jane Pratt, who is still on the Umpires’ Association committee alongside Thornton, Mikey Hillas (appointments’ secretary), Tim Burnley (training officer), Charles Isherwood (welfare), Dave Pearce and Barrie Crighton.
Bell added: “The season will last 23 weeks and will involve 22 league matches.”
Smith reported a loss on the year of £59.90, largely brought about by an increase in expenditure of 16 per cent.
However, there was still a balance of £4,659.83.
Thornton said: “The relationship between the ECB and the ACO is up in the air, but I thank all of our umpires for their patience, flexibility and consideration.
“We had 16 new umpires who were regular or semi-regular, and I thank Charles Isherwood, Barrie Crighton and Peter Roe for their help, but we lost a few umpires for various reasons.”
Thornton also emphasised the importance of umpire gradings and training courses, with 73 new laws due to be brought for next season, many of them cosmetic.
He said that 912 matches had been played in 2025 and 867 in 2026, the fall being due to fewer teams and the occasional rainy weekend.
Only three matches this season had no umpire.
Thornton revealed that Addingham and Hepworth & Idle were putting in Sunday third XIs next season and called the new midweek T20 competition a welcome addition.
A total of 63 Aire-Wharfe League umpires officiated in external competitions in 2026.