England: Ribblesdale and Northern Leagues in merger talks (1 December 1998)

1 December 1998

England: Ribblesdale and Northern Leagues in merger talks

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

The Ribblesdale League is to hold talks with the Northern League which could ultimately lead to a merger between the two.

Nothing will happen before next season with the Ribblesdale League clubs voting at last night's league AGM to keep playing conditions exactly the same.

However, the clubs did agree to give the league's executive permission to open discussions with the Northern League.

Those preliminary talks will concern what issues the two leagues should discuss, with the Ribblesdale executive expected to report back to the League at the start of next month.

And top of the agenda is likely to be a potential merger between the two leagues. Northern League chairman Norman Brown said: "Some weeks ago there was a casual discussion with the Ribblesdale League officials which turned into a more formal situation on how about the two leagues talking about any benefit in coming together.

"We had our AGM last week and our executive was sanctioned to meet theirs. That's where we start from and we will meet next week to discuss the spread of items to be discussed. Nothing is set in stone."

The Northern League is also having on-going talks with the Lancashire Cricket Board regarding taking on Premier League status, along with the Liverpool Competition.

However, to get full English Cricket Board accreditation, and the funds that goes with it, Premier Leagues have to head a pyramid sysem. The Liverpool Competition already has two divisions but the Northern League would need a promotion system to comply.

That's where the Ribblesdale League could fit in if the two leagues could agree a suitable mix of the member clubs in the various divisions.

However, Brown suggested that discussions with the Premier League and Ribblesdale League are separate issues.

The Northern League chairman added: "The LCB know that we are having two parallel discussions, talking with the LCB and the Ribblesdale League, on the basis that no vibrant organisation stands still if it can improve.

"The Ribblesdale League don't see themselves as a feeder league and our Second Division. My understanding is that the Ribblesdale League are not interested in becoming the Premier League."

Meanwhile, the Ribblesdale League voted 27-7 last night against introducing time cricket next summer.

A vote on the use of fielding circles in cup cricket was tied at 17-17 but the status quo was evoked by the chairman, while the similar status rule for professionals was removed.

Proposed changes to the bonus points system were withdrawn on a technicality and former Lancashire League secretary Rod Slater was appointed as the league's new secretary.

Such a move could depend on developments regarding the proposed Premier League in Lancashire with the Northern League being approached by the Lancashire Cricket Board to take on that status.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)