MJSL champions jump ship to leave Òve teams

FOOTBALL TREVOR Harris admits defending champions Haroldeans left the Manchester Jewish Soccer League due to a lack of competition.

Season 2018/19 of the MJSL will begin on September 16 with just five teams —Maccabi Manchester Yellows and Masters, Leeds Maccabi, Reich and South Manchester 2nd.

Haroldeans will join the third tier of the Liverpool Business House League, but club secretary Trevor Harris insists they will remain an “all-Jewish club”.

He said: “I didn’t want the team to leave as I’ve been involved with the club for 50-odd years, but it wasn’t fair on the boys as they wouldn’t be getting competitive football. In the end it was a unanimous decision.

“There was only one team worth competing against and that was South Manchester Sports Club 1st, so when they pulled out it made the decision easier for us.”

Haroldeans will also compete in this season’s Peter Morrison Trophy.

MJSL chairman Paul Rose described Haroldeans’ withdrawal as a blow and he says the 71st season of the league will be “a transitional one”.

The campaign will feature three cup competitions on top of the league programme. “Each team will play their opponents three times in the league, while two-legged cup matches and possibly floodlit midweek matches on 3G surfaces will provide extra variety,” said Rose.

“It’s important to keep the league going for our community and for the children of the future.”

An injury-time strike from Harry Hatchwell earned London Lions a point against Harefield United but the search for a first league victory of the season continues.

The Lions looked set for their third league defeat until Hatchwell struck in the 96th minute as the Lions bounced back from their 1-0 defeat at Broadfields United to earn a draw. Lions travel to Chalfont St Peters in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup tomorrow.