Heanor Town resign from Premier League
by Gwyn Jones, 26th September 2001

Heanor Town have become the first team to withdraw from the Derbyshire Premier League owing to their inability to find sufficient quality players to compete.

Heanor Town Cricket Club have notified the Beechdale SAAB ECB Derbyshire Premier Cricket League that they have relinquished their position in the League with immediate effect. They will run only one team from the 2002 season, that team being the one currently in Division 3C of the Derbyshire County Cricket League.

Heanor chairman Alan Turner gave as the reason for withdrawal 'the lack of a viable number of players of sufficient quality to perform competitively in the League' . The club had tragically lost Mark Saxelby before the start of last season, and Lee Colledge, Neil Sparham and the Polley brothers had moved to pastures new. With the retirement of Les Hart and the loss in mid-season of their captain Steve Brogan to work commitments, the burden of keeping the team in the Premier League had fallen largely on the club's Nottinghamshire based ex-professionals. When it became apparent that these players would not be returning for the 2002 season, the club took the crucial decision to withdraw.

Heanor Town had joined the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Border League in 1921, its second year, and had been League champions six times, the last time as recently as 1992, performing the double that year by winning the Silver Link Trophy. The reduction of a club of Heanor's status to a single team is a major blow to the club and to cricket in general. It is hoped that they will be able to restore their fortunes quickly and become a force in Derbyshire cricket once again.

The Premier League Management Committee has discussed the matter and has, after consultation with the Derbyshire County League, offered Heanor's place for the 2002 season to Clifton, who finished as runners-up in the County League. Clifton has accepted this offer, and the vacancy caused by this has led to an extra team being promoted from every division of the County League as far as Division 5A. The bottom three divisions will now consist of 10 teams each instead of 12.

Unfortunately the fixture list for 2002 containing Heanor in the Premier League had been sent out less than 24 hours before the withdrawal was announced. All clubs are therefore notified that this fixture list is now invalid, and should not make any arrangements based upon that list. New lists are currently being drawn up, and should be available by early next week.