Red-hot Buttershaw blaze a trail of glory (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Red-hot Buttershaw blaze a trail of glory

6:20pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in Sun Alliance By Trevor Adams

Buttershaw White Star were crowned Bradford Sunday Alliance League champions for the first time since 2009, completing the double with victory in the Bulk Sports Suppliers League Cup final.

They were very near to a treble, losing the Bradford & District Sunday Cup final on penalties to West Bowling.

White Star went through the league season unbeaten and the only match they lost in 90 minutes was in the West Riding Sunday Cup to who else but West Bowling – although they played for the majority of the game with only ten men.

Buttershaw are only the second team to go unbeaten in the Alliance League – the other being East Bowling Unity in the year the League was formed when the Bradford Sunday League and the Bradford & District Sunday League joined forces in the 1985-86 season.

Defending champions West Bowling won the Bradford & District Sunday Cup for the first time in their history this season and also achieved the remarkable distinction of reaching their fourth West Riding County Sunday Cup final in five years – winning it on two occasions.

This year it proved a match too many for the defending county champions, when they were beaten 2-0 by a very strong Halton Moor team in one of the best finals seen at Woodlesford in many years.

A young Ventus Sports team finished in the relegation position so they will be playing Division One football next season.

Queensbury were in the relegation positions throughout the season but just pulled clear in the final stages of the campaign.

Baildon Trinity Athletic were also threatened with relegation but a good run at the end of the season saw them banish the doubts and they actually went on to win the Wharfedale & District Sunday Cup final.

Division One is hard to get out of and Sandy Lane timed their end-of-season run to perfection by beating long-time leaders Thornton United to the title.

The Premier Division will be enhanced by both these teams next season.

Cuedos Rangers finished third and with the quality of football they play and the good organisation at the club, it is surely only a matter of time before they too grace the top flight.

Buttershaw Celtic were runaway winners of Division 1A, with Victoria Rangers finishing in second place just in front of a decent Undercliffe team.

In Division 1B, Stanningley Albion crowned another remarkable campaign by clinching promotion, even though they suffered their first league defeat since joining the Alliance League when they were beaten by Lane Ends.

The runners-up position was a really tight battle fought out between Lane Ends, Oakworth Juniors and Wrose Bull, with the Keighley team sneaking the promotion spot on goal difference.