There will be ninety teams in the league – two more than last season. Doncaster, Leeds and Shelley have each entered an extra team but Sheffield G have withdrawn from division nine. Therefore, only one team has been relegated from divisions nine and ten.

As a result, division eleven will comprise ten teams thus requiring two additional match dates, these being 15th December and 19th January. A set of rules for the Yorkshire League is posted on the YCBA website and all match secretaries and captains are advised to acquaint themselves with these rules.

Also, in the light of incidents which have occurred in the past, captains are asked to take responsibility for ensuring that all members of their team are aware of their selection and the venue of the match as well as ensuring that all pairs are correctly seated at the beginning of each stanza.

A number of clubs have raised concerns regarding catering for players with special dietary requirements. The Yorkshire League committee has therefore drawn up a set of guidelines for clubs which we hope will be helpful to everyone concerned. They will be published on the YCBA website in the Yorkshire League section well before the start of next season.

Any match, with the agreement of both clubs, can be played prior to the match date. Please let Stuart Davies know in advance because such matches may consist of twenty four boards for which there is a separate VP scale.

Best wishes for the coming season.
Philip Mason
Chairman, Yorkshire League Committee