The Bradford Mutual Sunday School League have gone cool over the introduction of identity cards in a bid to stop illegal players.

Earlier this year the league were keen to seek out costs for an idea that the now defunct Bradford Central League have had for several seasons but Mutual chairman Nick Spachis called identity cards “a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.

“We should just have sample signatures from players instead,” he said.

“I have repeatedly e-mailed the person who was going to help set ID cards up and we have no further information about cost or about how much the machine will cost.”

Steve Broadbent (Muff Field) said: “We used 40 players this season and ID cards will put off most of them. We wouldn’t be able to function. Sample signatures should be sufficient. Whatever happened to trust?”

However, league chairman Graham Langton countered by saying: “Every club in this league has played an illegal player and that is what identity cards were supposed to stop.

“We don’t want ringers playing who can score 100 in ten overs or take six wickets in two overs.”