NORTH-East ice hockey fans are expected to miss out on a another season of top flight action.

Bosses at the Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) are keen to make an early decision on the immediate future of the Newcastle franchise at its board meeting next Wednesday, May 22.

Last season, the ISL futures of three franchises, Newcastle, Sheffield and Cardiff, were uncertain throughout the summer, resulting in constant rearrangement of fixture lists and schedules.

Sheffield's participation in the 2001/2 season was not confirmed until after the rest of the teams had started their games, and Newcastle and Cardiff failed to take part at all.

And the ISL wants to avoid any repetition of that scenario this year.

The Newcastle franchise was stripped from London firm Fablon Investments last year, following a long-running pay dispute, and only two of four parties which expressed an interest in taking up the mantle have put their plans into writing.

These two are former owner Fablon and ex-Dundee owner Tom Stewart.

However, the ISL believes follow-up talks with these parties are taking too long, and any new interest would come too late.

The 2002/3 fixture list is expected to be released following the board meeting, and unless negotiations move fast, it will not include a Newcastle side, adding further misery to the fans who have been disappointed by instability since the sale of the Durham Wasps in 1994.

An ISL spokeswoman said: "If nobody has proved themselves by then, then there won't be a team next year."

Read more about Newcastle Jesters here.