Bassetlaw League champions could be denied promotion

On the final day of the season on Saturday, the club were presented with the Bassetlaw League, Championship trophy, which they had sealed the previous week.

But they have been told they won’t be allowed up because they don’t yet run youth teams and haven’t gained the Clubmark accreditation.

“It’s a killer because we have worked so hard,” said club stalwart Lee Wilson. “But we are appealing to the ECB, and we have a lot of support.

“We think it is wrong and that we are being unfairly treated because, in the past, other clubs in our position have been given time.”

The title success is a triumph for the merger of the two Clipstone and Bilsthorpe clubs last winter. Wilson said: “It kept both clubs going, and set us up for the future.

“We recruited well and we have performed really well all season. It is a great achievement to win the league.”