KEN Firth, who is standing down at the annual meeting next month after 14 years as fixture secretary of the Dales Council League, fears for the league’s future.

And although his resignation is in part due his span in the post, it is also partly due to players’ attitude towards umpires.

He said after the league’s rules revision meeting at Pudsey Congs: “Players are appealing from mid-wicket and square leg for lbws, and players are running towards the umpires after appealing.”

Firth, who used to watch several matches in an afternoon, admitted: “I haven’t been to a game since the middle of the season.”

At least some good news came from league secretary Ron Mackenzie’s report, which revealed that Jer Lane‘s third XI have renewed their bid to apply to the league after withdrawing it a year ago.

Yeadon also want to enter a third XI for 2026, but are having trouble finding a ground, while Leeds Gladiators want to put a fourth team in and play at Sands Lane, the current home of Savile Stars.

Meanwhile, Leeds Super Kings’ first XI wanting to groundshare at Kirk Deighton, but will drop their second XI for a season while drainage work takes place at East Keswick - hopefully via a grant - which they used this season.

The league, which formed in October 1955, are also musing over the best way to celebrate their 70th anniversary.

Umpires’ appointments secretary Maria Vasudev reminded clubs of their responsibility to provide umpires, once again explaining that the clubs who do not provide panel umpires will not have them at their matches - even if they are in the top division.

And both the Dales Council League Umpires’ Association and New Farnley want to take a harder line regarding the thorny issue of clubs who do not provide a panel umpire.

The Umpires’ Association have proposed a new rule to go forward to the league’s annual meeting, on Thursday, November 7 at Pudsey Congs, that any new club that does not provide a panel umpire will not be allowed to vote on any business regarding umpires at any league meeting or league annual meeting.

New Farnley want all clubs to nominate a club umpire before the start of the season or by the pre-season meeting, and if they do not stand in at least 60 per cent of that club’s league fixtures then the club’s senior team will have three points deducted at the end of the season for every game below that 60 per cent level.

The Umpires’ Association also want umpires’ match fees to go up from £40 to £45 if two umpires are present and from £60 to £70 if only one umpire is present.

However, their proposal that clubs that do not provide an umpire to be charged their fee, which will be paid into the Dales Council Umpires’ Association’s bank account, did not receive a seconder at the league’s rules revision meeting, also at Pudsey Congs, and will therefore not go forward to the league’s annual meeting.

The mandatory provision or otherwise of teas is an issue, like the need to get more umpires, which leagues seem to be pondering every winter.

Cookridge have proposed that clubs can opt out of providing teas for the visiting team, although they must be provided for umpires and scorers in league and cup matches.

If teas are provided for the opposition, then the visiting team must pay the home team £30, unless the matches fall within religious festivals, such as Ramadan.

As for scorers, Tong Park Esholt want the fee for not having a scorer to go up from £10 to £30 (to be paid to the side that do have a scorer).

But their proposal that the same member of the fielding side scores when they are fielding, meaning that they will only have 10 fielders rather than 11, but that the scorer can change while that side is batting, failed to get a seconder.

Meanwhile, clubs will have three different proposals to ponder regarding starting times for league matches next season.

The Dales Council League could see matches start earlier next season.The Dales Council League could see matches start earlier next season. (Image: Richard Leach.)

Headingley Bramhope, Mayfield, Meanwood and Pudsey Congs have proposed that all matches begin at 1pm (the league rule is currently 1.30pm except for the last three weekends of the season when it is 1pm).

St Chads Broomfield, the league’s executive committee and Tong Park Esholt propose that all league matches start 30 minutes earlier i.e. 1pm from April onwards but 12.30pm for the last three weekends of the season, while TPE have also proposed that all matches begin at 12.30pm.

Cookridge have proposed that a minimum of five bowlers per innings be used (at the moment clubs can use a minimum of four), and they have also proposed that fielding circles be used, with at least four fielders, not including the bowler and keeper, be inside the circle at the time of delivery.

Headingley Bramhope want a greater choice of match balls, with Readers being added to the two already available (Lords and Raje).

New Farnley’s proposal that clubs that concede a Pool Paper Mills Cup tie (first XI competition) should be excluded from subsequent rounds of the Cawthorne Cup (second XI competition) was seconded and will therefore go forward to the league’s annual meeting.