Northern League chairman Mike Amos has denied that the league will definitely be operating with at least one extra club next season. The league is coming under pressure to increase its second division , to give ambitious outfits West Allotment, Newcastle Benfield Saints and North Shields the chance to progress from the Wearside League and Northern Alliance.

But Amos said: " There's no guarantee that we'll be extending the league, because we're awaiting the outcome of deliberations by the FA, so any date is hypothetical.

"The increase, if it happens, would be to extend the second division to 22 clubs."

The whole question of the pyramid system is in the melting pot at the moment, and the FA might decide to leave any enforced extension of the ANL until the wider picture is sorted. But that problem might take a lot longer to solve, especially as there are so many different opinions on the way forward.

Peterlee have signed former Gateshead midfielder Paul Proudlock. The former Middlesbrough player quit as Gateshead boss after they were beaten by Billingham Town in the Durham Challenge Cup, and Peterlee boss Eddie Freeman asked him if he wanted to turn out for the Northern League club.

Proudlock has already appeared for them this season when Gateshead were without a game, and Freeman said: "He's going to take some time off away from football to gather himself, and see whether he wants to play for us on a regular basis."

Freeman himself came out of retirement recently, and scored the winner for Peterlee at Marske. "It was either me or the chairman - and I'm two stones lighter!"

Prudhoe Town manager Tony Harrison has been charged with undesirable conduct following an incident in a recent league game and has been instructed to appear in front of the league next month.

The club has already been fined £50 by Northumberland FA.

Guisborough manager Steve Corden is aiming for a good finish this season and will bring in more new players if he has to. Corden, who took over during the summer, has given 24 players their debuts this season as his side have held their place in the top half of the table.

"Out of the 24 I've signed, ten have already left," he said. "I haven't been afraid to bring in new players in, if I think it will improve the side. Out of the squad which started the first game of the season, only six are left "At the start of the season, our aim was to finish higher than last season's 14th, and hopefully we'll manage that.

"But there have been far more draws then we would have liked, even though we've only lost two out of our last ten matches."

Brandon have revealed that several clubs are sniffing around striker Andrew Burton.

Brandon boss Kenny Lindoe has revealed that at least two UniBond League clubs are watching the progress of Burton, who was signed from Middlesbrough a year ago.

But Lindoe said: "He's still not back to his best yet, because he suffered a broken leg earlier in the season."

Meanwhile, Anth McStea, who left Brandon for Wolves earlier in the season, is doing well, and the move looks as if it could become permanent at the end of the season.

Durham City manager Brian Honour will miss his side's league game at Billingham Synthonia today to spy on FA Vase opponents Wroxham. Honour has made several trips to watch his side's future opponents this season, and has benefited greatly from the trips.

"The only problem is that I have had to travel long distances, but it has been well worthwhile. I've picked up little bits and pieces which we've used in matches."

Wroxham are playing Ely City in the Jewson Eastern League, of which Dereham Town, beaten by Durham earlier in the competition, are members. Wroxham are third in the table, having lost just three times in 22 league games. But Durham can also point to the fact that they are now unbeaten in their last 12 matches.

Tow Law manager Graeme Forster is hoping to set his own personal record straight when Tow Law go to Jarrow Roofing tomorrow.

"I've never won there in the First Division with either West Auckland or Tow Law," he said. "When I started in management at Evenwood, I won there in the second division, but I've been several times since, and never won." Lawyers are still just over halfway into their league programme, and are facing the prospect of playing two games per week for the rest of the season."

The league has taken action to reduce its fixture backlog. After seeing several programmes virtually wiped out because of the bad weather in recent weeks, the league has arranged 54 midweek games during March, with almost a full programme of games on Tuesday March 12th Jarrow Roofing's League cup tie with Shildon, which was postponed on Tuesday night because of a waterlogged pitch, has been re-arranged for this Tuesday, kick off 7.30.

Roofing's scheduled home game with Brandon has now been switched to 19th March.

The winners of the tie will join last Tuesday's winners in the semi final draw. Durham City, Whitley Bay and Tow Law are all through.