The final round of league fixtures were played out on Saturday. Ilkley’s last fixture with Sandal at Sandal now becomes a ‘dead rubber’ because Sandal lost their match at Durham City and are now certain to finish second in the table behind promoted Billingham.

Sandal now play Altrincham Kersal from North West league One in the play-off for promotion to National League Three North.

Other issues settled are that Darlington join Ilkley and Gateshead as the three clubs relegated from North One East.

That Pontefract won and Darlington lost means there is now no danger of Yorkshire League One finding itself with one too many clubs and the club nearest by geography to the North East being asked to play in the Northumberland and Durham League. Theoretically, it was a marginal call between Ilkley and Scarborough.

As for Yorkshire league One, Wheatley Hills are promoted, taking Ilkley’s slot in North One East. Sheffield are in the play-off against Team Northumbria, basically the students of Northumbria University.

A lot will depend on player availability in the case of these students.

So Ilkley will face mainly old friends once again and their long distance travelling days are curtailed with trips to the seaside at Bridlington and Scarborough being the longest they will have to undertake.

Yorkshire League one will definitley comprise: Ilkley, York, Castleford, Keighley, Bridlington, Bradford Salem, Malton and Norton, Heath, Scarborough, Dinnington, Selby, Knottingley, North Ribblesdale and possibly Sheffield or another not yet known.

There's a surprise somewhere in tail!

If Ilkley's season was disappointing, think of last year’s league opponents Aspatria.

This season they reverted to their geographically natural league North One West and ended up relegated with just one solitary victory and two league points to their name!

The life of rugby club officials never ends like the season.

The Dalesmen are already recruiting new players and a number have already indicated their wish to come and play for the club.

Work continues to conclude the financial negotiations with funding bodies so that an early start can be made to the redevelopment project.

The club’s annual dinner is to be held on Friday, May 7, in the clubhouse.

As always it promises to be a splendid event despite the disappointing season at first XV level.

The players are in good heart and looking forward to a couple of months well-earrned rest before training starts early July.

There will be something going on down at Stacks Field throughout the summer - probably touch rugby on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Anyone interested having a go at Rugby is more than welcome.

Touch rugby is great way of keeping fit and most enjoyable too.

Contact can be made via the club’s new website ilkleyrfc.co.uk.