6th September 2026 Preview

The 26th season of the Hull and District Veterans League starts this weekend with Divisions 3,4 and 5 in action although two games have been postponed leaving 10 games taking place. There are four new teams and three who have had a name change, who will be playing their first ever Veterans League game.

DIVISION THREE 

AFC NORTH  V  GREAT DRIFFIELD B     RWB PLAYING FIELD, CUMBRIAN WAY, NORTH BRANSHOLME – REFREEE PHIL GRIFFIN

AFC North who won Division Four last season start their campaign with a home game with the newly formed Great Driffield B  at the RWB. This should be an interesting game with both sides looking to get their season off to a good start, the hosts are strong at home whilst the visitors are an unknown quantity.

AFC WILLERBY A  V  HULL ATHLETIC    WOLFRETON COLLEGE, WELL LANE, WILLERBY- REFEREE ANDREW MCNAUGHT MATCH POSTPONED- TO BE RE-ARRANGED

Two sides who are new to Division Three meet at Wolfreton College as AFC Willerby A take on Hull Athletic who have taken over from Springhead who were a Division Two side last season. The home side finished third in Division Five last season but have strengthened their squad in the summer and will be a tough start for the Hull Athletic side.

GILBERDYKE PHOENIX  V  BRIGG TOWN     MATCH POSTPONED- TO BE RE-ARRANGED BY 4TH OCTOBER

MALT SHOVEL SELBY  V HOWDEN    DENISON ROAD, SELBY- REFEREE ELLIS DOUGLAS

There is a local derby at Denison Road as Malt Shovel Selby entertain the newly formed Howden side. Malt Shovel had a disappointing 2025-26 season but what better way to start the new campaign with a win against your neighbours. For Howden who are back in the Veterans League after a long absence this will be a tough opening game.

DIVISION FOUR

BRANDESBURTON   V  NORTH FERRIBY SPORTING    CATWICK LANE, BRANDESBURTON- REFEREE NEIL WOODCOCK

Two sides looking to improve on mid table finishes last season go head to head at Catwick Lane as Brandesburton entertain North Ferriby Sporting.  Their two meetings last season produced 16 goals with Brandesburton winning this corresponding fixture 3-2 and the return game saw Ferriby gain revenge 7-4. Another open affair is anticipated.

DRUM  V  BLACKBURN LEISURE B   COSTELLO PLAYING FIELD- REFEREE STEPHEN BALDWIN

Drum start their Division Four season with a visit from Blackburn Leisure B to Costello. Drum won the Division Five title last season whilst Blackies who struggled to field a team at some stages late on will be looking to open their account at the first opportunity.

HESSLE RANGERS   V  MARKET WEIGHTON MAGPIES    HALTEMPRICE SPORTS CENTRE 3G, GORTON ROAD- REFEREE GARY HALLETT

Hessle Rangers start life at their new home ground at the Haltemprice Sports Centre 3G pitch taking on the newly created Market Weighton Magpies. Hessle had a decent first season finishing joint third in Division five. The Magpies are a combination of former Holme Rovers players and a new set of players from Market Weighton.  

MOLESCROFT RANGERS A  V  ST PETERS   HULL UNIVERSITY- REFEREE JEFF SMITH

Molescroft Rangers A get their season underway with a home game at Hull University against St Peters. The visitors have lost a number of players following their relegation from the top division and are hoping to regroup. Molescroft were promoted last season after their second placed finish in Division Five and this should be a good open encounter.

DIVISION FIVE

AAK S+S   V  SPARTANS    BISHOP BURTON COLLEGE- REFEREE NEIL HAMBLY- KICK OFF 2-15PM

Old rivals AAK and Spartans start their season at Bishop Burton College looking to improve on their mid table finishes last season.  Their two meetings last season both ending in away wins with AAK winning 4-2 at Hull University and Spartans winning at Bishop Burton 4-3 and there is likely to be another open game in [rospect.

GIPSYVILLE BOSUN  V  MOLESCROFT RANGERS B   COSTELLO PLAYING FIELD- REFEREE GEORG DELA SAGA

Gipsyville Bosun will be looking to improve on their showing last season and they start their season with a home game against Molescroft Rangers B at Costello. The visitors had their best season for some time when they finished second in Division Six and this will be a stern test of their capabilities against Bosun.

LEVEN   V  TICKTON     LEVEN SPORTS CENTRE- REFEREE GED STEAD

New boys Leven mark their return to the Veterans League with a home game against near neighbours Tickton. The visitors gained promotion from Division Six last season and will be a gauge of how Leven will do on their comeback to the league.

SWANLAND B  V  GOAT FC    PLAYING FIELD, OFF WEST LEYS ROAD, SWANLAND- REFEREE JOHN SUTTON

Swanland B who did the cup and league double last season take on Goat FC at West Leys Road. Goat are a new team consisting of a number of the former Bridlington Town Rovers B side from last season and this will be stern test against a Swanland side who are looking to build on their hugely successful campaign in 2025-26.

Champion of Champions Cup Final

The Champion of Champions Final takes place on Sunday as Reckitts take on Bridlington Town Rovers at Sirius Academy, Pickering Road.

RECKITTS  V  BRIDLINGTON TOWN ROVERS   SIRIUS ACADEMY, PICKERING ROAD, HULL – REFEREE PAUL BROOKS MATCH POSTPONED- VETERANS LEAGUE COMMITTEE WILL DECIDE WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

Reckitts who won the  Champion of Champions Trophy back in 2019 have the chance to be the first team to win it twice when they face Bridlington Town Rovers at Sirius Academy on Sunday.

Both sides reached the final after convincing semi final away wins last Sunday, Reckitts won 5-2 at Bottesford Town whilst Brid won 6-1 at AFC North.

Reckitts will go into the game as favourites but I am certain that Brid will be very competitive and this will not be a walkover.

Champion of Champions Semi Final line up

Unfortunately all three Champion of Champions Cup matches scheduled for Sunday 9th August were conceded by one of the teams owing to a lack of players.

This means three teams progress to the semi finals next Sunday without kicking a ball, joining Bridlington Town Rovers who had a bye.

The two games are AFC NORTH  V  BRIDLINGTON TOWN ROVERS RWB PLAYING FIELD, CUMBRIAN WAY, BRANSHOLME- REFEREE KEVIN PICK

                                 BOTTESFORD TOWN  V RECKITTS  ONTARIO ROAD, BOTTESFORD- REFEREE ELLIS DOUGLAS

The final will be played on Sunday 23rd August at a venue to be decided.

Champion of Champions Trophy gets under way on Sunday

Whilst the start of the Veterans League season is still a month away, the first games of the campaign begin this Sunday with three Champion of Champions games taking place.

BOTTESFORD TOWN  V DRUM- CONCEDED BY DRUM WHO ARE UNABLE TO RAISE A TEAM

AFC NORTH V BRIGG TOWN OVER 50`S- RWB PLAYING FIELDS, CUMBRIAN WAY, NORTH BRANSHOLME- REFEREE PHIL GRIFFIN MATCH POSTPONED- CONCEDED BY BRIGG TOWN 50`S WHO ARE UNABLE TO RAISE A TEAM.

AFC North who won the Division Four title last season welcome Brigg Town Over 50`s to the RWB as both clubs make their debut in the Champion of Champions Trophy. The visitors did the double last season for the second year in a row and will not make it easy for the hosts. The reward for the winners is a home game in the semi final next weekend against Bridlington Town Rovers.

RECKITTS  V  SWANLAND B- HULL UNIVERSITY- REFEREE KEVIN PICK MATCH POSTPONED- CONCEDED BY SWANLAND WHO WERE UNABLE TO RAISE A TEAM

Premier League title winners Reckitts take on Division Six champions Swanland B at Hull University. Both sides did the double last season and whilst there is a big difference in terms of the divisions the two sides play in, I am sure that Swanland will make a game of it. The reward for the winners is a trip to the South Bank to take on Bottesford Town next Sunday in the semi final.

 

Amended Divisional Allocations 2026-27

Following representations from a number of clubs, we have amended some of the Divisional allocations to accommodate their views.

The seasons fixtures will be produced in the next couple of weeks with Divisions 3,4,and 5 playing one week and the Premier Division and Divisions 2 and 6 playing the next with just a couple of variations to that. The season will start on Sunday 6th September with Divisions 3 ,4 and 5 in action with the Premier Division ,Divisions 2 and 6 playing on September 13th. After that the fixtures will be on a fortnightly basis as described above with again a couple of exceptions to that format. The Over 50`s Division will operate on a mainly one fixture a month basis starting later in September. 

There will be the usual Divisional Cup Competitions with any Preliminary Round ties being played as a double header when the teams first meet in the league. 

DIVISIONAL ALLOCATIONS 2026-27

PREMIER DIVISION (8 TEAMS)

 Blackburn Leisure A, Bottesford Town, Liv (ex Kingswood United),  Reckitts, Swanland A, Symonds & Greenham (ex Lord Nelson),  Waterloo, Westella &Willerby (New Team)

DIVISION TWO (9 TEAMS)

Botanic Fire, Bridlington Town Rovers, Great Driffield A,  Hedon Rangers, Hodgsons (New Team), Newland, Northern Wanderers A, Preston United, South Cave

DIVISION THREE (8 TEAMS)

AFC North, AFC Willerby A, Brigg Town, Gilberdyke Phoenix, Great Driffield B (New Team), Howden (New Team), Hull Athletic (ex Springhead), Malt Shovel Selby, 

DIVISION FOUR (8 TEAMS)

Blackburn Leisure B, Brandesburton, Drum, Hessle Rangers, Market Weighton Magpies (ex Holme Rovers), Molescroft Rangers A, North Ferriby Sporting, St Peters, 

DIVISION FIVE (8 TEAMS)

AAK S+S, Gipsyville Bosun, Goat FC (Ex Bridlington Town Rovers B),  Leven (New Team), Molescroft Rangers B, Spartans, Swanland B, Tickton

DIVISION SIX (9 TEAMS)

AFC Willerby B ,Barham, Bilton, Easington United, East Hull Sporting (New Team), Hornsea Town, Little Weighton, Priory, Northern Wanderers B

OVER 50`S DIVISION EAST (5 TEAMS)

Bridlington Town Rovers, Hedon Rangers, Hornsea Town, North Ferriby, Preston United,  

OVER 50`S DIVISION  WEST (5 TEAMS)

Blackburn Leisure, Brigg Town, Louth, Reckitts, Swanland

 

Charity Donation

At the end of the 2025-26 season the Hull and District Veterans League made a donation of £300 to Cancer Research UK. This is a long standing arrangement between Cancer Resarch Uk and the Hull and District Veterans League,

This amount was made up of fines made against teams for non attendance at the AGM, rule infringements and transfer fees. 

We have received a letter of thanks from Cancer Research UK. 

Free place in Pre Season Tournament available

There is a Pre Season Tournament being held at Haworth Park on Sunday 2nd August and a free place is available to any interested teams. Please contact John Duffill direct.

A fully paid place is available free of charge in the National Elite Veterans Football Tournament at Haworth Park, Hull, on Sunday 2 August 2026.
 
The competition is 11v11, with a maximum squad of 18 players. Every team will play seven games before the knockout rounds. There is only one free place available.
 
If any suitable team would like a place, please ask them to reply as soon as possible with their team name, manager’s name and mobile number. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Car parking is available on site.
 
Kind regards,
 
John
National Elite Football Tournament