10:13am Thursday 4th June 2009
By Ian Whiting
The only club ultimately relegated from the Northern Counties East League Premier Division was Eccleshill United, who ended the campaign rock bottom of the table.
The League’s statute is that two clubs from the Premier Division go down to be replaced by two coming up from Division One. Just one club, on most occasions the champions, are promoted into the UniBond League.
Title winners Mickleover Sports were accepted into the UniBond but no club will drop down from that level.
Former NCEL Premier Division outfit Brigg Town narrowly missed out on a return. They finished in the UniBond Division One relegation place but Gresley Rovers resigned from the league, so Brigg were spared.
That leaves just Mickleover, upwards, and Eccleshill, downwards, as the only movers from the Premier Division.
Division One winners Scarborough Athletic and runners-up Rainworth MW have both received ground-grading certificates from the FA allowing them to make the promotion, so it is a straight two in and two out.
No new club is joining the lower tier, despite enquiries from 15 possible newcomers, so it will be a division of 18 next term instead of 19.
Eccleshill’s relegation may have cost them derby fixtures against Thackley and Liversedge but it will merely open up other avenues.
The Eagles will now cross swords with Brighouse Town as a new local derby clash makes an appearance on the calendar.
Town only joined the ranks of the non-league ladder this time last year and finished a creditable but frustratingly low 15th.
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