Summer Football League

(Established 1930)

 

This week’s fixtures

 

 

THURSDAY APRIL 5th   (Kick-off 6.45pm)              (1)

Alton                             v         FC Hulland

Blue Bell Inn                v         Weston

Bradley                        v         Rose & Crown

Brassington                 v         Ostrich Rangers

Holly Bush                   v         White Swan

Longford                      v         Bye

Mayfield                       v         Doveridge

Osmaston                    v         Swan Rovers

Wheel Inn                     v         Biggin

 

TUESDAY APRIL 10th   (Kick-off 6.45pm)               (2)

Bradley                        v         Biggin

Brassington                 v         Alton

Doveridge                   v         Blue Bell Inn

Holly Bush                   v         FC Hulland

Mayfield                       v         Bye

Osmaston                    v         Longford

Ostrich Rangers         v         Weston

Rose & Crown            v         Wheel Inn

White Swan                 v         Swan Rovers

 

 

Notes:

 

I am a bit late this year sending out news of the Summer Football League but their have been a lot of late changes. However the Summer Football League kicks-off the 2007 season on Thursday 5th April with one league of seventeen teams.

At the Affiliation Meeting in February eighteen teams joined including Blue Bell Inn from Kirk Langley who are a completely new club with no connection to the previous Blue Bell side which was regrettably expelled last season. They do however use the same pitch at Kirk Langley and also the same headquarters, the Blue Bell Inn, which is now run by the former Derby County player Ross Maclaren.

 

Ostrich Rangers were struggling to find some one to run the club and did withdraw. However within two days some former players decided that they could not let this happen and so they re-entered the club. Unfortunately, and partly as a result of losing players to the revived Ostrich Rangers, Kirk Langley found that they could not get sufficient players to commit themselves and so after many years of membership they withdrew from the league. They were followed by Black Sheep, formerly Cary's, who also could not get sufficient players.

 

With only three weeks to the start of the season and after the fixtures had gone to the printers the league was down to sixteen teams. Fortunately a new club, Swan Rovers, stepped into the breach to bring numbers back to seventeen. Swan Rovers, who have about twenty five players signed-on, will play at Mappleton and their fixtures replace those of Black Sheep as listed in the 2007 League Handbook. They are based at the White Swan in Ashbourne and have instant rivals in the other team based there.

 

Just to muddy the waters further Weston have moved to Shirley as their headquarters, the Cock Inn at Mugginton, is presently closed awaiting a refit. This brings an old SFL pitch back into the fold and is most welcome by the League Council as it is a very good semi-final venue being well drained with ample parking space. As the normal FC Hulland pitch is not available following winter ground works they are hoping to replaced them on the Weston pitch at Mugginton although this has yet to be completely finalized. The proposed alternative is the former Wheatsheaf pitch at Idridgehay. Despite rumours both these changes are what they are stated to be - there are no underlying financial reasons or other problems and everything will revert to normal next season with a return to home venues.

 

Anyone requiring further details is welcome to contact me on 07889652026 or by email at john.brailsford@lineone.net. As previously weekly email results, fixtures and the league table are also available from the same address, at least until I get the web site up and running.

 

John Brailsford