THE incorporation of the Solly Sports Huddersfield Central League and the Spenser Wilson Halifax League has moved a step closer.

Clubs within the Huddersfield Central League have voted in favour of the proposal to join the Halifax League.

However, the Huddersfield Central League were faced with a late counter proposal from the Drakes Huddersfield League.

Halifax League chairman Anthony Briggs explained at the league's latest meeting at Pellon Social Club: "We want to be open and transparent about this. It will be an incorporation and not a merger.

"It has come about because of the Pyramid System, and initially it was thought that they (the Huddersfield Central League) would feed into the Central Yorkshire League (who have since merged with the Bradford League).

"Negotiations have been very friendly and amicable, and the Huddersfield Central League have been very honest about their situation.

"They have 16 clubs, two of which were moving to the South Yorkshire League anyway (Green Moor and Higham), and the Huddersfield Central League were concerned about their clubs and not their league.

"The Huddersfield League made a counter offer at the 11th hour.

"On two previous occasions, the Huddersfield Central League have had discussions about a merger with the Huddersfield League, one of which was quite recent (within the last two years), but on both occasions they have been rejected.

"The Huddersfield Central League clubs were asked to vote on both proposals, with the Huddersfield League's proposal being for two Alliance divisions with no offer of promotion (or a looser one anyway), whereas we are offering promotion, and the vote was in favour of the Halifax League's proposal by a majority of one."

Public relations and media officer Paul Whiteley and Briggs represented the Halifax League in the talks, with Jack Carson and Chris Jones representing the Huddersfield Central League.

Briggs added: "We looked at geography, clubs who operate with only one team (Halifax League rules say that each club must have two teams), and criteria and standards.

"As for geography, we see a Premier Division of 12 teams, with 12 teams in Division One (ten Halifax League clubs, plus two Huddersfield Central League clubs as long as they meet certain criteria) and two conferences beneath that, one for the north of our area and one for the south.

"As for clubs with one team, if we allow them in they could play in our Sunday League section or in our Conference section.

"As for standards and criteria, there would be a bar to entry to Division One and above if certain ground criteria standards were not met.

"The incorporation would also mean that the four existing Huddersfield Central League executive committee members and 25 umpires would move across, and the incorporation has received the backing of the Yorkshire Cricket Board and Yorkshire County Cricket Club chief executive Mark Arthur.

"Rules would be those of the Halifax League, unless Huddersfield Central League rules were advantageous."

Clubs within the Halifax League will vote electronically on the incorporation of the leagues in September after three regional workshops have been held.

If the vote goes in favour of the leagues joining, it will happen before the start of the 2017 season.

Briggs added that the Halifax League also feel that the time is right to look at other issues within their league, such as the Pyramid System, expanding, reorganising and restructuring the league committee for the next 12 months and beyond, player availability, the loan system and junior teams.

He said: "We want to be the best amateur league feeding into professional leagues (the Bradford Premier League)."

Briggs also urged players to fill in the ECB Players' Survey, which has to be completed by the end of July and looks at reduction in overs, minimum number of bowlers, rain rules and the player loan scheme.

Therefore the tea interval in the Halifax League will be extended this weekend (July 16-17) to enable the forms to be filled in electronically.

* Illingworth, currently playing in the Aire-Wharfe League, have successfully applied to join the Halifax League for the 2017 season.

The vote of Halifax League clubs was 28-0 in favour, with two abstentions.

Greetland, meanwhile, have withdrawn their second team and must apply for re-election at the end of the season.