DENHOLME Clough, who resigned from the Spenser Wilson Halifax League last November because they had no home ground, have been unanimously accepted into the Bradford Mutual Sunday School League.

Clough, who were involved in a dispute with their new landowner at their Denholme Gate headquarters, will now be based at Horsfall Playing Fields.

Although they will be playing in a different division, Clough have effectively replaced Buttershaw St Paul's' third team, who resigned at the same Mutual Sunday School League emergency general meeting last week at Clayton Rugby League Club when Clough joined.

League chairman Nick Spachis told the meeting: "Denholme Clough have requested to join the league, their bond is in place and I urge you to accept them."

After being unanimously accepted, the next decision was which division Clough, who are only coming in with one team, should play in.

Originally the thinking was that that they should start in Group D - the lowest division - but after West Bowling, who finished third from bottom in Group C, requested to be voluntarily relegated, it was decided that Denholme Clough, who won Halifax League Division Two last year, should start in Group C.

Ironically, the Halifax League made a similar decision earlier this year when Low Moor asked to be relegated from Division One. Shelf, who finished third in Division Two, agreed to be promoted to take their place.

Denholme Clough's secretary Mohammed Yousaf said at the Mutual EGM: "We have been helped greatly by the YCB, but we feel that the Halifax League have shown more interest in other clubs, such as Sowerby Bridge."

When asked if the Mutual Sunday School League was going to be a one-year stepping stone for his club, Yousaf replied: "We were not able to play in the Halifax League, we now have a ground, we want to enjoy our cricket, make new friends and state that we will stay in the Mutual for a minimum of three years.

"Also we would have been quite happy to play in Group D."