NEW TEAMS: MANCHESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE
Perhaps the greatest challenge this year is that facing the two new teams in the Manchester and District League, as they will go into an established league trying to compete in the new professional era having not played a competitive game before. The two newcomers are
Ashton under Lyne and
Glossop Hall. The Ashton club simply take the name of the town, and play in black jerseys with a white outline of a star embroidered on. That design is inspired by the coat of arms granted to the local Assheton family. Glossop take their name from a large country house near to their home field, and play in red jerseys with stripes on their caps similar to those worn by many of the Oxford colleges.
LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
L-R: Ashton under Lyne, Glossop Hall
MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:
The new format in the league sees the twelve clubs face one another four times, giving a forty-four game schedule. Eleven of these games are scheduled for Wednesdays, as the league tests out the viability of regular midweek play. These games will take place over the summer months, in place of the double games previous used to fit the schedule in.
NEW TEAMS: SHEFFIELD AND DISTRICT LEAGUE
Having waited a year longer than most other leagues to admit new clubs for the first time, the Sheffield and District League grows to eight teams this year. Clubs from Chesterfield and Worksop join the league, with its new format following the Middlesex County League in reducing to a twenty-eight-game schedule, every team facing each of the others four times.
Chesterfield Crooked Spire’s name comes from the famous local landmark, the twisted spire of the Church of St Mary and All Saints. The club play in dark red jerseys with their initials embroidered in yellow. The name of
Worksop Wesley gives away their origins as a team founded by members of a Methodist chapel in the town. Their jerseys are turquoise with two interlocking W’s across the front.
LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
L-R: Chesterfield Crooked Spire, Worksop Wesley
MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:
NEW TEAMS: BIRMINGHAM AND DISTRICT LEAGUE
The Birmingham and District League grows to ten teams this year and will see a thirty-six game schedule, with every club playing the other nine on four occasions.
Wednesbury Old Park started life as the works team of the Old Park Iron Works. The club play in jerseys and caps which feature boldly coloured blue and red stripes.
Bilston Hope and Anchor were formed by patrons of the Hope and Anchor Inn, located near to their home field. Their jerseys are black, with orange trimmings.
LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
L-R: Bilston Hope and Anchor, Wednesbury Old Park
MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:
NEW TEAMS: KENT COUNTY LEAGUE
Like the Birmingham and District League, the Kent County League will now consist of ten teams playing a thirty-six game schedule. The first of the newcomers are
Sheerness Mile Town, whose name comes from their location in the part of the town established a mile away from the dockyard. They play in purple jerseys with gold trim. Like Ashton under Lyne in the Manchester and District League,
Tunbridge Wells simply take the name of the town in which they play. Their colours are two shades of green, with their jerseys predominantly a vibrant shade of that colour.
LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
L-R: Sheerness Mile Town, Tunbridge Wells
MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:
As they indicated when none of them were elected to the league at last year’s vote, the leading clubs in the east of the county have confirmed that they intend to launch their own competition next year. At present there are seven teams interested in taking part, so it remains to be seen whether an eighth can be found, whether the league would run with an odd number of teams or whether somebody would have to miss out.
NEW TEAMS: UNIVERSITIES
Both university championships are growing to twelve teams this year, with the schedule extended to forty-four games in order to maintain the pattern of clubs meeting one another four times. The new teams in Oxford represent
Exeter College and
University College, while at Cambridge three are now teams from
Christ’s College and
Sidney Sussex College. The longer schedule means that there are more midweeks with two games, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, There are no longer spare midweeks to enable postponed games to be quickly rescheduled, meaning that there are likely to be more double games again. In order to prevent delays to the Varsity Series, the season will start one week earlier than last year.
LOGOS AND UNIFORMS - OXFORD:
L-R: Exeter College, University College
MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS - OXFORD:
LOGOS AND UNIFORMS - CAMBRIDGE:
L-R: Christ's College, Sidney Sussex College
MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS - CAMBRIDGE:
