CLUBS within the Aire-Wharfe League could be paying more for their cricket next season.

It was proposed, by the league’s management committee at their Council Meeting at Otley RUFC that a club’s annual subscription be raised from £140 to £155.

Treasurer David Threlfall revealed: “That fee has remained the same since 2015, and expenses within the league have increased so we need to make a small increase, and will then look at it every two or three years.

“We have also, in the past, waived the league fees or only charged half-fees and also need to complete the ground inspection cycle.”

Any proposed rule change, if it received a seconder, will go forward to the league’s annual meeting on Tuesday, November 22, also at Otley RUFC (8.00).

Meanwhile, it is also proposed by the management committee that the entry fee for newly-admitted clubs be raised from £25 to £100.

Threlfall explained: “The proposed rule change, if passed, will not come in until after the 2023 season, but a lot of work is involved in looking at a new club and we feel that £25 does not cover it.”

Clubs that concede league matches could be docked 20 points, with the non-offending club being given an automatic 20 points.

If a match is conceded less than 24 hours before the scheduled start, which could also apply to cup matches, the away team could be liable to pay the home team twice the fees for teas in compensation.

Clubs that are up for re-election could have the number of conceded matches and disciplinary records taken into account in terms of the league pecking order.

The management committee want any conceded matches by a club up for re-election to cost that club 10 league places on each occasion in the count-up procedure.

Also if a club up for re-election receives three disciplinary reports in a season that will also cost them 10 league places, with any additional disciplinary reports each costing a team five places.

League president Mark Shaw, who chaired the meeting, said: “There is no place in cricket for disciplinary issues.”

Umpires could also be due a rise, both in fees and travelling expenses.

The fee for a 45 overs per side match could be upped to £45 (from £40), while, as regards travelling expenses the HMRC rate for the initial 10,000 miles has been increased from 35p per mile to 45p per mile.