Horden win Wearside League spot

Horden Community Welfare have provisionally been accepted into the TWR Bifolds Wearside League for the coming season, alongside West Auckland Tunns.

But the league has lost four clubs from the 17 who finished last season.

Champions Redcar Athletic have been promoted to the Northern League’s Second Division, while runners-up Cleator Moor Celtic have stepped up to the North West Counties League.

Last night’s annual general meeting saw resignations from South Shields Reserves and Stokesley SC, who finished third-bottom and fourth-bottom respectively last term.

Horden were founded as a new club, playing successfully in the Durham Alliance Combination League last term, following the demise of the former Horden CW side midway through the 2016-17 Wearside League campaign.

The Colliers finished as runners-up to Wheatley Hill WMC and finished their season in style with a 2-0 victory over Hall Farm Glasshus to lift the League Challenge Cup, with Liam Appleby and Peter Crawford on target.

The Wearside League have appealed the decision to relegate Darlington RA from the Northern League to the North Riding League.

Officials will welcome applications to fulfil their hopes for a 16-team division in the coming campaign. The new “second division” is to be called the Durham & Wearside Development Division, with a host of clubs ready to join.