LEADING All Rounder Cricket Equipment Central Yorkshire League clubs may be having second thoughts about going south in view of the proposed merger with the JCT600 Bradford League, which was announced late last week.

Five clubs – Methley, Townville, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield Thornes and Altofts – originally expressed their preference for the South Yorkshire League when the four-pronged ECB Premier League set up was revealed for Yorkshire.

Methley are now out of the equation, having opted to join the Bradford League for the start of the 2016 season.

However, Central Yorkshire League chairman Mark Heald has revealed that two of the remaining quartet might now prefer to stay with the merged league, which is still dependent on Bradford League clubs giving their approval at an extraordinary general meeting at Cleckheaton Sports Club on Thursday, August 27.

The Central Yorkshire League board have already given their approval to the proposed merger.

Heald, fearing about the future of his league, said: "Two of the four clubs have already told me that they are reconsidering their decision to go south."

He added as to why his league wanted the proposed merger with the Bradford League to go ahead: "We had already lost Methley and Birstall to the Bradford League for the 2016 season and two other clubs would be going to the ECB Yorkshire South Premier League, depending on which two finished highest in our Premier Division at the end of this season as long as they were in the top three."

The initial five clubs all had their applications for their potential move south approved following visits to their grounds by Yorkshire League management board officials.

If only one of those finished in the top three in 2015, then that club will automatically qualify for Yorkshire South.

If the second-highest ranked team finish fourth, they will enter into a play-off with the team finishing fourth in the South Yorkshire League for that final place.