Teams are up for the cup

Some terrific work behind the scenes sees the Lancashire and Cheshire AFL, the biggest Saturday amateur football league in the region geared up for an exciting and busy end to the season decimated by Covid 19. 

The difficulty of arranging fixtures to complete the league programme saw it null and voided and a cup competition brought in to replace this. 

This was a great pity as it had been one of the most exciting and competitive of seasons throughout the eight divisions until the lockdown brought about the closure. 

The league’s management committee, with good support from the clubs, have drawn up their road map to complete the season. 

It will begin on Saturday April 10 with four cups being played for beginning with 16 divisions in action with the teams aiming to make quarter-finals before semi-finals and finals on neutral grounds.. 

Having confirmed the plans for a streamlined cup competition programme that will run in the absence of the possibility to complete a full league programme, the L & C also announced warm-up fixtures plan in preparation for the competitive fixtures.

L and C fixture secretary Malc Kershaw has done a tremendous amount of work to see League fixtures for every team on the April 3 being released with referees secretary Stephen Howard looking to have every game covered by officials. 

There are league games to be used as a warm up so teams don’t go into the cups on April 10 without having played and it saves everyone in clubs the job arranging friendlies. 

Referees will be appointed as normal by the referee’s secretary. All normal procedures such as confirmation, referee payment by BACs, completion of result texts, match sheets, team stats and refs marks are to be followed. 

This has seen virtually a full take-up of fixtures and clubs then await the cup draws, coming out this week, with eager anticipation. 

In the Premier Division friendlies there are some exciting fixtures led by Salford Vics v Irlam Tigers and AFC Oldham v Dom Doyle. 

Division one was a very competitive division with several teams looking to make the top two slots including leaders Moston Brook who host Trafford United and De La Salle Reds v North Walkden. 

The period before the latest lockdown saw the clubs well prepared for the Covid restrictions which will apply and all in the league are looking for a good spell of weather as they resume action.

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