AS WE go into the final week of the league season, there's still everything to play for. Although East End WMC have claimed the Division One title, many of the other issues have yet to be resolved.

Shuttle and Loom will need something special to avoid relegation and Model T are mathematically certain to go up, but there are four other teams fighting for the remaining two places in the restructured top flight.

The Northern Echo are almost down (more on that later) and Affinity Healthcare will finish bottom of Division Three, but it remains to be seen who will join champions Hole in the Wall and runners-up Royal British Legion in the league above.

Whether the column celebrates its second successive promotion depends on Brown Trout's fate in their two games in hand.

ONE thing is for sure - Copper Beech won't be in Division Three next season; nor will they be in Division Two. That's because next year we will be known as The Wheatsheaf after the fantastic pub on Yarm Road.

Last season Peladon United were called Mitek and Wheatsheaf Albion so it's not the pub's first foray into The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League.

Unfortunately, unlike Man.

United's deal, we won't receive £15m a year but new strips have been promised.

RAC are also looking for a new sponsor after the company closed its office in Darlington last month. Any interested parties can contact Chris Johnson on (01325) 269870.

IN THE Premiership, games never seem to kick off at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon; now it appears that even Sunday League games aren't safe from bizarre scheduling. While everyone else played at 10.30am last weekend, the crucial Division Two basement clash between RAC and The Northern Echo didn't get underway until 12.30pm.

In a game they had to win to avoid relegation, the Echo were a goal down as RAC launched an attack down the right. There didn't seem to be too much danger - until left-back Alan Noble suddenly ran off for his dinner.

It was his father-in-law's 70th birthday apparently, and there was a pub meal booked. So off he went, leaving his side down to ten men. Seconds later, the ball was in the net as James Barber ran through where the full-back should have been to make it 2-0.

The result means that the Echo are likely to be playing in the bottom division next season.

Food for thought, it could be said.

LAST week saw Copper Beech's end of season presentation night, attended by fans and players alike - plus a couple of women dressed in not very much who deserve a mention for that very reason.

Also warranting a mention were the winners. Player of the year was goal machine Stu Armstrong; runner-up was Steve Clement; Lee Dixon won goal of the season after a Maradona-style goal against Brown Trout; Kev Myers' goal against Hole in the Wall was second; and Stu came third for a strike against Peladon. The fact that King of the Wing won nothing was a sheer oversight. .

Published: 05/05/06