THE Crewe and District Football League kicks off its 126th season today (Saturday) as its organisers tell of a growing struggle to maintain a fixture list.

The welcome addition of newcomers Crewe Town FC Reserves and Elworth Park Rangers has at least added competition to take the number of clubs up to six for the league's one division.

Gone are the days when the popular Saturday football league attracted enough teams for two divisions and League Secretary Dave Parker admits he is saddened by the decline in interest in participating in adult parks football in the Crewe area.

In the past the league has been graced by works sides from Bentley Motors and teams from Crewe and Alsager College, later MMU Cheshire, while those joining from further afield included the likes of Cuddington White Barn, Winnington Avenue, Bunbury and Winsford IPC.

But Dave, who has been in post for over 30 years, admitted: "It's been a struggle in all honesty.

"We used to have two divisions, but at that time there were nine divisions of Sunday Leagues around Crewe. They're down to two divisions (in the Crewe Regional Sunday League) and we're down to one.

"We've tried to keep the league going, but it has been touch and go."

For the 2020/21 campaign the new sides join existing members Crewe Town FC, Sandbach Curshaws, Sandbach Town and Mary Dendy in readiness for a season that under the cloud of Covid-19 no-one can quite predict what might happen.

Last season's campaign was curtailed on March 14 with Winsford Saxons heading the table. They are among the clubs dropping out along with Tarporley Vics and Halfway Athletic.

Waning enthusiasm as well as the burden of administration and organising amateur football is partly to blame believes Dave.

"It is a sign of the times sadly. You get certain teams that join the league and drop off or we've had others who have done well over three or four years and the manager gets fed up.

"Bentley left us about six years ago because no-one there wanted to run a Saturday team.

"Another thing that affects us is that teams will leave to join a higher league. But we'll carry on. We had a revival three years ago when we had enough clubs for two divisions.

"I've been with the League since 1989 and it has been going for 126 years."