Champions Galleywood leave league

RIDLEY LEAGUE ROUND-UP NEW Ridley League secretary Lee Bright s term of office opened on a note of mini-crisis at last week s registration meeting, with combined champions Galleywood Eagle revealed as one of six non-runners from the 19 clubs who finished

RIDLEY LEAGUE ROUND-UP

NEW Ridley League secretary Lee Bright's term of office opened on a note of mini-crisis at last week's registration meeting, with combined champions Galleywood Eagle revealed as one of six non-runners from the 19 clubs who finished last season.

Two of the absentees are simply under new names, but the loss of the Eagle and of arch-rivals Chelmsford Social Club - leaves the South Section seriously short in numbers and quality compared with their North rivals.

Baddow Beehive are another casualty, while Felsted Horseshoes are also believed to have folded. The Cricketers, pipped by Rayne Cock for North Section honours last term, have moved across Dunmow to give the Flitch Snooker Club a second team, while the core of the old Chelmsford White Horse side have re-formed at the football stadium, as Chelmsford City FC.

But the lop-sided sections gave the committee a major headache. An earlier AGM vote in favour of geographical divisions ruled out either one all-in league or the transfer of clubs between the

two sections.

In the end, the delegates agreed on an eight-club North section, with five teams in the South playing

each other three times - not ideal, but as treasurer Trevor Bright challenged the meeting: "You think of a better solution..."

The league programme starts on Tuesday, September 25.