The Bradford League will operate with an odd number of 29 clubs next season, adding more congestion to an already crowded fixture list.

Clubs last month decided to admit Central Yorkshire League champions Gomersal following their application to join the league for the year 2000 and at last night's end of season meeting they voted back the bottom two clubs in the Second Division seeking re-election, Esholt and Salts.

Esholt who joined the league only 12 months ago received 30 votes with none against and Salts had 26 votes with four against.

League secretary Bob Shackleton explained clubs face additional fixture congestion following the election of an extra club.

He said that each Second Division club would have only three free Sundays during the season. With such a busy fixture list he warned clubs might have difficulty turning out full teams.

Among proposed rule changes clubs will be asked to vote on at the annual meeting on November 18 will be a bonus points system and, controversially, a proposal to deduct points for failure to maintain a rate of 17 overs per hour.

Both proposals have been put forward by the league executive committee who have been looking into ways to speed up the game and make it more attractive.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.