Summer switch is ruled out

AMATEUR FOOTBALL:

VAL Broadbent, secretary of the D and J Builders (North West) Ltd Oldham Sunday League, has intimated that there are no moves to transfer the league's future programmes to summer activity.

This follows the move by the National Conference League, affecting local rugby league clubs Waterhead, Saddleworth Rangers and Oldham St Anne's, who, following extensive debate, have voted in favour of a March to November season effective from 2012.

Val said: "Nobody has mentioned the Oldham Sunday League moving to summer football.

“I think it would be a bad move anyway because a lot of the footballers also play cricket.

"Football is a winter game and I think we would lose a lot of teams if ever there was a switch to summer.

"Despite the bad weather of the past two seasons, the Oldham Sunday League has always completed its fixtures on time.

“I see no reason to change things. We had to make the President's Trophy competition a penalty shoot-out eliminator a couple of years ago but, apart from that, we have done all right."

Junior football in the Oldham area could, however, welcome any move to summer football as this would give coaches more scope to teach skills on better playing surfaces.