The Central Yorkshire League, who now have All-Rounder Cricket as their sponsor, claim they have done nothing wrong in their negotiations with previous backer Solly Adam.

The Solly Sports owner says that the league gave him no opportunity to improve on the deal he had with the league which was due to expire in April.

However, the league’s chief executive officer Paul Heaton says that that is entirely wrong and that the league met with Adam on several occasions, even suggesting to him how much money to put up if he wanted to be in the frame for continuing his 13-year association with the league.

Heaton, who took up his post last August, said: “Talks with Solly about a renewal of sponsorship began last May, and his original letter offered us 50 per cent of his current contract.

“He stated that our talking to other potential sponsors when he had offered us a 50 per cent hit meant we were in breach of our contract with him (we have a signed and agreec contract with Mr Adam which is available for review at any time), and we even went to talk with Mr Adam at his business premises in Saviletown.

“Solly Sports has had a 13-year association with the league but I have known him for 30 years, including playing in the same side as him.

“He wrote to our chairman on October 5, stating ‘I am now of the opinion that we are at an impasse, which I think means we can not take negotiations to the next stage’.”

Heaton added: “Our agreement meant that Mr Adam paid the league in monthly instalments but owed the league £2,900 in unpaid sponsorship money, which he, at that time, refused to pay.

“He was also supposed to pay for the umpires’ shirts and match balls for the Central Yorkshire League cup finals but he reneged on that agreement and took that cost, at full retail price, from the amount that he owed us.

“We took independent legal advice last November, and the advice given to us was that Mr Adam was in fundamental breach of his contract with us.

“On January 4, we spoke to him again at Saviletown and agreed a much-reduced settlement figure for the debt in order to draw a line under the situation.

“We now have four-year deals in place with Readers for cricket balls and with Chris Taylor’s All Rounder Cricket for league sponsorship, yet Mr Adam continues to make accusations against the Central Yorkshire League.”