EAST Morton and Broomhill Reserves are among the four new teams to enter the Craven & District League for next season.

Both will start in Division Three alongside fellow newcomers Bingley Town Reserves and Otley Town, while Hellifield Sports, who failed to start their 2014-15 Premier Division campaign, have re-entered the league in Division Three.

Both the Premier Division and Division One will have 12 teams, while Division Two and Division Three will each have 14 teams as Bradley Reserves and Sutton Reserves have both dropped out.

Cowling and Embsay were relegated from the top flight, being replaced by Silsden Whitestar and Gargrave, while Cononley Sports Reserves were relegated from Division One but second-from-bottom Bradley stayed up.

Oxenhope Recreation and Sporting Keighley have gone up from Division Two, while Sutton were relegated but Skipton LMS Reserves survived, despite being second from bottom.

Carleton, Trawden Celtic Reserves, Cross Hills Reserves, Pendle Renegades Reserves and Skipton Town Reserves have been promoted from Division Three to make way for Hellifield Sports, AFC Barnoldswick, East Morton, Otley Town, Bingley Town Reserves and Broomhill Reserves.

While the league are still looking for a sponsor after the untimely withdrawal of Mastab’s Indian Restaurant and Takeaway, a more pressing concern is the lack of referees and committee members, despite Tina Hirst returning as the registration secretary.

Anyone interested in either being a referee or committee member should contact league chairman Gerry Aldersley on 01282-813407.

In his annual report, the chairman said that the 2014-15 season was the longest he could remember (starting on August 18 and ending on May 23) but 47 games were not played because clubs could not raise teams, 23 of them occurring in the last four weeks, which suggests that players do not have the same incentive if they have nothing to play for.

It was agreed that the 2015-16 season would start in early August with evening games involving minimal travelling if possible.

However, this will depend on the availability of grounds because of cricket and whether council-controlled pitches are open.

Broomhill won both the Fairplay Trophy and Administration Trophy, and their marksman Andrew Tanner was both the Division Two Player of the Year and the section’s leading goalscorer.

League constitution – Premier Division: Settle United, Cross Hills, Rolls, Skipton LMS, Trawden Celtic, Grassington United, Grindleton, Cononley Sports, Wilsden Athletic, Earby Town, Gargrave, Silsden Whitestar.

Division One: Embsay, Cowling, Pendle Rengades, Skipton Town, Chatburn, AFC Colne, Rolls Reserves, Ingrow & Worth Valley, Bingley Town, Bradley, Oxenhope Recreation, Sporting Keighley.

Division Two: Cononley Sports Reserves, Broomhill, Grassington United Reserves, FC Polonia, Manningham All Stars, Settle United Reserves, Grindleton Reserves, Salts, Skipton LMS Reserves, Carleton, Trawden Celtic Reserves, Pendle Renegades Reserves, Cross Hills Reserves, Skipton Town Reserves.

Division Three: Ilkley, Horton, Addingham, Ingrow & Worth Valley Reserves, Barnoldswick Barons, Cowling Reserves, Barlick Wanderers, Otley Town, East Morton, Hellifield Sports, AFC Barnoldswick, Bingley Town Reserves, Broomhill Reserves, Sutton.

* Peter Marsden, who has served the game for 60 years, be it the Craven League committee, the Craven & District FA, the West Riding County FA and the Craven Referees’ Association, received the Bill Huck Memorial Trophy for services to Craven football.