THE loss of 2019 champions Crossflatts to the Bradford League, coupled with Sandy Lane folding and Haworth Road Meths opting to field only their first team, has led to changes in promotion and relegation in the Craven League for the 2021 season.

With Crossflatts having teams in both Division One and Two, Foulridge, who finished second from bottom in Division One, have been spared relegation.

Bottom club Denholme have been demoted, while Division Two champions Hepworth & Idle and runners-up Wilsden have been promoted.

Crossflatts II and Haworth Road Meths II were due to play in Division Two, while bottom club Sandy Lane were due to be relegated from that section, though as mentioned above, none of that will be the case now.

All of this means second-from-bottom Cononley will not be relegated, while Silsden have been promoted from Division Three as champions, alongside runners-up Bingley Congs II.

Third-placed Skipton CI will also rise, as will fifth-placed Bradley, given Thornton-in-Craven, who finished fourth in 2019 (there was no official league play in 2020), declined the offer of promotion.

Neither of the bottom two clubs, Embsay II nor Haworth, will be relegated to Division Four.

Rising from that section are Cowling II (champions) and Denholme II (runners-up), as well as fourth-placed Sutton II and sixth-placed Wilsden II.

Both Ingrow II (third) and Skipton CI II (fifth) turned down the chance of promotion.

New team Hepworth & Idle III will start life in Division Four, which is the bottom tier.