THE COBBYDALERS suffered their first relegation since stepping onto the football pyramid when they lost their place in the North West Counties Premier Division following a disappointing campaign.

There were changes at the top throughout a troubled season that was blighted by injuries and the wettest winter in living memory. Silsden had finished tenth the previous year and there was genuine hope and expectation in pre-season.

The campaign began under joint managers Ryan Haigh and Danny Bolton but after just two months Bolton stood down. Haigh battled on until February before also resigning. Both men cited family and other commitments as reasons for leaving but there was an underlying feeling that all at the club was not settled when they departed.

Silsden turned to former player James Gill, who had spent the previous three seasons as assistant manager at local rivals Barnoldswick Town. Gill came in and persuaded former Bradford City youth Danny Forrest – who had just out of retirement with Town – to follow him to the Cobbydalers as a player/assistant.

The pair soon realised the enormity of their task as they looked to rescue the club's top-flight status. There were still half of the league fixtures to play when Gill was appointed and the new manager knew the season would end with a glut of games. Silsden were to play four games in eight days on more than one occasion.

A disastrous March proved to be the ultimate downfall as 11 games brought just four points and a West Riding County Cup semi-final hiding.

A home victory over mid-table AFC Liverpool sparked hope but it was short-lived as Silsden lost seven of their next eight games. The only fixture in that spell that didn’t end in defeat was a 1-1 draw at Barnoldswick. The 7-1 hammering at National League Harrogate Town in the county cup semi-final was a chastening experience.

Silsden's league form picked up after that with just two defeats in the last nine fixtures as four victories and three draws saw them bank 15 points in the run-in. That equated to almost 40 per-cent of their total for the season.

Their late resurgence left them with an outside chance of survival on the final day but results elsewhere meant their draw with Bootle was academic as they ended three points below the safety mark.

NWC Premier Div Pos: 21st P42 9 D11 L22 F57 A88 GD-31 Pts38