The Albany Northern League: Chairman slams new UniBond First Division

A meeting of senior leagues at Shepshed decided on the membership of the various leagues last week, and the UniBond League's borders will now stretch much further southwards.

Several clubs have swopped leagues, and now the UniBond will include Spalding from Lincolnshire, Willenhall from Staffordshire and Shepshed from Leicestershire, which Amos claims will only further discourage Northern League clubs from moving upwards.

"Northern League clubs will say that the proposed arrangement is madness," he said.

"Anybody in football administration can see the new arrangement, which has been carried out on the back of an exercise supposedly to reduce travel costs and increase spectator interest, has panned out to be nonsensical.

"Nobody can ever suppose now that a team from the North-East would want to play in that league. Do people realise they've just about cast the North-East adrift at our level?

"If a North-East team was in that division, then their shortest trips would be across the Pennines to Kendal, or down to West Yorkshire to play either Ossett Town or Ossett Albion.

"It seems to me the door has been completely closed on the Northern League being a part of the system. We have warned, urged and cajoled the powers-that-be to have a careful look at the set up, but nothing has been done.

"Unless the FA gets hold of the problem, there will never be another Northern League club to win promotion."

Amos has been campaigning for several years for the FA to look sympathetically at the ANL's geographical situation, and clubs even had a meeting with FA officer Mike Appleby to discuss the situation - but it all looks to have been in vain.

Billingham Town manager Alan Robinson has warned his players that their conduct on the field must improve if they are to push for more honours next season.

The Durham Challenge Cup was on show when Town held their presentation night last Saturday, but Robinson believes the club can win more trophies in the near future.

"We had a great season," he said.

"We've got our eyes on a couple of players which we hope will strengthen the squad, and help us improve on the season we've just finished.

"But the players must control themselves better. We're going to start the new season without two players, Carl Chillingsworth and Stuart Dixon, because they are suspended. Our indiscipline cost us last season to an extent, and we don't want it to happen again."

Andrew Burton won both the supporters' player of the year award and the players' player of the year award, while David Turner won the manager's player of the year.

Robinson also paid tribute to the club's supporters. "Our barmy army made a big difference to us, especially in the Durham Challenge Cup final."

Kennek Ryhope CA are celebrating their best finish in the league for 15 years.

Ryhope were relegated from the First Division in the late 1980s, but have never been amongst the serious contenders for promotion since then.

But now secretary Owen Haley is hoping for better times after they finished ninth, their best finish for 15 years.

"We've always been in the bottom half of the table, so ninth represents progress," he said. "Next season, we'll aim higher, maybe a top six finish."

Consett assistant manager Paul Bryson admits that a poor run of six games cost the Steelmen the Second Division title .

Consett, who were relegated from the First Division last season, seemed to have the title within their grasp, but a poor return of two points from six games in March and early April virtually ended their chances.

"We were playing really well, but then suddenly we hit a brick wall," he said.

"After being so high on confidence for most of the season, suddenly we were very low.

"But at least we achieved our aim of winning promotion at the first attempt."

Bryson has been a player in the league for nearly two decades, and he said: "I don't know yet whether I'll be able to play regularly in the First Division, but I'll do my best to make sure I can."