RADICAL proposals for the area’s West Lancs League clubs to jump ship and rejoin the Furness Premier set-up set tongues wagging over the festive period.

Respected local footballing servants Allan Wilson and Dave Staunton – who sponsor the FPL through their Rifleman’s Garage and Premier Tiles businesses – are concerned for the future of local soccer.

Wilson and Staunton believe the best solution to a widespread shortage of players and clubs not being able to fulfill fixtures, is for the vast majority of teams whose first XIs play in the West Lancs League to exit that competition and turn out in the FPL.

Holker Old Boys stalwart Wilson told the Mail: “Personally, I think only the top four local sides should be playing in the West Lancs, the rest should be playing in the top division of the Furness Premier League.

“We could have maybe 14 to 16 clubs in the Furness Premier playing to a good standard. The Furness Premier needs to approach their own clubs and say ‘why don’t we get together and have our own strong league?’”

And ex-Furness Rovers and Cavaliers boss Staunton said: “The West Lancs teams and Furness Premier League teams need to get together, otherwise it will just collapse.

“A lot of clubs signed up for the West Lancs because they were frightened to death if they didn’t do that, they would lose their best players to other clubs.

“I don’t think that is the case any more. Now the good players are spread out over too many teams and none of them are doing any good. The standard of the West Lancs League Division Two is atrocious. It is time for clubs to come home.”

At present, Holker Old Boys play in the North West Counties, while Crooklands, Vickerstown, Hawcoat Park, Askam United, Dalton United, GSK Ulverston Rangers, Millom, Furness Rovers, Furness Cavaliers, Swarthmoor and Walney Island operate in the West Lancs. The three-tier FPL is made up of first, second and third teams.

Opinion is divided on whether West Lancs League clubs should up sticks and come home to bolster the FPL, but Staunton and Wilson have had a lot of positive feedback to their proposal.

“I’ve had quite a few people say they agree with us,” said Staunton. “It has all been postive.”

There are no firm plans to take the matter forward though, and for that to happen, clubs would need to get together and air their views. The issue is NOT set to be discussed at the Furness Premier League’s half-yearly meeting at Hawcoat Park on Thursday January 26, as it is not on the agenda.

Both the West Lancs and Furness Premier League competitions resume tomorrow following the Christmas break, and the shortage of match officials in the FPL continues to be a problem, with four or five matches every week having to be played without a qualified referee.

Anyone who would like to take up the whistle is asked to contact the league’s referees development officer, Bob Davies (tel: 465370).

One team who go into the New Year will confidence high are Holker Old Boys, who pulled off a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Daisy Hill in their North West Counties Division One match last Friday.

Hill led 1-0 at half-time through an Ashley Stott penalty. Sam Joel equalised on the hour, but Stott’s second of the afternoon put the visitors 2-1 in front. However, two late goals in the space of a minute, courtesy of a Dave Swarbrick penalty and Joel’s second, earned Brian Dawson’s men the points and a confidence-booster ahead of tomorrow’s trip to St Helens Town.