DEVELOPMENT TEAM: Cumberland County League allocations

The Workington Development Squad has been elevated to the Premier Division of the Cumberland County League, following a re-structure announced at the AGM.

On their return to the County League last October, following seventeen consecutive seasons in the Lancashire League, Reds were allocated a place in the First Division.  After just five games, though, the campaign was suspended.

A regionalised three division league was formulated when competitive football returned in April and Reds’ second string finished at the top of their section, winning the Andrea Buggy Trophy in the process.  But when the allocations for the two divisions (Premier and First) were announced for the new season, there were protests from Silloth and Bransty Rangers who had been placed into the First Division, effectively ‘relegated’.

The league resolved the situation by taking a vote on Proposal 1 (where we were allocated to the Premier Division) or Proposal 2 (as per the start of last season when we were in the First Division).  The vote finished 10-7 in favour of Proposal 1 which means we will be in the Premier Division alongside Aspatria, Carlisle City Development, Cockermouth, Gosforth, Maryport Athletic, Northbank, Pirelli, Wigton and Workington Athletic.

The First Division will be made up of the following teams: Bransty Rangers, Cleator Moor Celtic, Mirehouse, Moor Row, Silloth, Unison Athletic, Whitehaven, Whitehaven Miners Social and Windscale.   

Newlaithes resigned.

Other points at the meeting, staged at Netherhall Rugby Union Club, included:

Up to seven (7) substitutes can be named (the League proposal was five) on the bench and it will be a roll on/roll off arrangement.

Officials fees remain at £30 (referee) and £20 (for each assistant) with the £70 split by the two competing clubs.

Officials to wear black and teams not allowed to wear a kit which clashed with the referees.  This impacted on Wigton whose black strip was declared unsuitable.

Season expected to start on 14 August with mid-week games to be slotted in for two or three weeks.

The League officials were all re-elected en bloc.

• The Development Squad will resume training on Monday with pre-season games against Windscale, Holker Old Boys and Queen of the South pencilled in.