When the West Riding County Amateur League kicked off their 87th successive season on Wednesday, August 19 last year, it was not envisaged that it would take almost 41 weeks to complete.
Yet with the enforced break from mid-December to early February for the majority of clubs, it is a credit to them that all league and cup fixtures were completed before the FA cut-off date of May 29.
Albion Sports swapped local Sunday League football for the Saturday game just three seasons ago and in successive seasons gained promotion into the PREMIER DIVISION.
And their mixture of players who had featured at a higher level and some of the best local products ended their first season in the top flight as runners-up to three-times winners Bay Athletic.
Albion did have some consolation when they beat Storthes Hall to lift the Premier Division Cup.
Campion and Wibsey were both prominent at the top end of the table during the season, with Wibsey and Huddersfield side Marsden taking turns in leading the way.
But Campion's championship hopes were reduced when, during an eight-week period at the beginning of 2010, they only managed to play one league game.
They were involved in knockout competitions on three fronts - the West Riding County FA Challenge Cup, the Bradford FA Cup and the League Cup - which left them having to play an average of three league games per week from late April until mid-May.
Tyersal, who returned to the Premier Division as champions of Division One at the end of 2008-09, started the season with a four-match unbeaten run and ended with a six-game unbeaten surge to finish in ninth place.
Hunsworth set the pace in DIVISION ONE with a run of 15 unbeaten league matches before going without a victory in their next four games to let eventual champions Steeton take over top spot.
But Hunsworth did recover and held off the ambitions of Salts, Ventus/Yeadon Celtic and Littletown to gain promotion into the top division for the first time.
Ventus/Yeadon gained some consolation by lifting the divisional cup with a 1-0 win over Littletown.
Bay Athletic Reserves, who were beaten only once in their 26 league games, were clear champions of DIVISION TWO, while Westbrook YMCA marked their first season back in the league by clinching runners-up spot. The end of the season saw Dudley Hill Athletic play their last competitive match.
Since joining the league in 1972, Athletic - under the guidance of founder Granville Cook - won the Premier Division trophy on six occasions during the 1970s and 80s, as well as completing the double four times.
But while Granville, now in his late 80s, and his son Colin have tried to keep the club going, they both decided that this season would be their final one.
Newcomers Huddersfield YMCA gained promotion at the first attempt from DIVISION THREE, with Ovenden West Riding taking runners-up spot.
This past season has seen the league take part in the match-based disciplinary trial, in which players sent off while playing in the league were given a number of games to miss instead of the system used outside the Football Pyramid of a player receiving a time-based ban of a number of days.
The initial reaction from clubs was one of the unknown but as the season progressed it became clear that most were in favour of the match-based ban used in the professional game and are now hoping that it will become a permanent fixture.
The league were also invited to take part in the FA Carlsberg Non-League System Cup but after winning 4-1 in the first round against the Northamptonshire Combination League at Market Harborough, they then slipped up 3-0 at home to the Yorkshire Old Boys League.
The league are still waiting to see if their application to be one of the new leagues to be elevated onto the Football Pyramid at step seven for next season is successful.
This would offer the opportunity for the club winning the Premier Division to be promoted into possibly the Northern Counties East League.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Premier Division: Winners Bay Athletic, runners-up Albion Sports.
Division One: Winners Steeton, runners-up Hunsworth.
Division Two: Winners Bay Athletic, runners-up Westbrook YMCA.
Division Three: Winners Huddersfield YMCA, runners-up Ovenden WR Res.
Premier Division Cup: Winners Albion Sports, runners-up Storthes Hall.
Division One Cup: Winners Ventus/Yeadon Celtic, runners-up Littletown.
Division Two Cup: Winners Emley, runners-up Rawdon Old Boys.
Division Three Cup: Winners Huddersfield YMCA, runners-up Ovenden WR Res.
West Riding County FA Challenge Cup: Winners Knaresborough Town, runners-up Albion Sports.
Bradford & District FA Cup: Winners Campion, runners-up Fields Sports & Social.
Huddersfield & District FA Cup: Winners Bay Athletic, runners-up Newsome WMC.
Wakefield & District FA Cup: Winners Horbury Town, runners-up Hall Green United.
Halifax & District FA Cup: Winners Ovenden West Riding, runners-up Brighouse Old Boys.
Wharfedale & District FA Cup: Winners Otley Town, runners-up Ventus/Yeadon Celtic.
LEADING GOAL SCORERS
(League and League Cup)
Premier Division: T Mathews (Meltham Ath) 39, J Missin (Albion Sports) 32, B O'Melia (Campion) 20, M Mulvihill (Storthes Hall) 19, J Newiss (Marsden) 19, L Coughlan (Lower Hopton) 19.
Division One: T Hargreaves (Ventus/Yeadon Celtic) 35, L Reilly (Steeton) 34, R Hiscox (Heckmondwike Town) 29, D Armstrong (Bronte Wanderers) 23, L McKeown (Littletown) 23, R Bloomfield (Wakefield City) 21.
Division Two: C Allette (Bay Ath Res) 29, B Folan (Dudley Hill Ath) 21, K Jones (Bay Ath Res) 19, C Helliwell (Campion) 18, A Hawker (Campion) 17, J Cayenne (Storthes Hall) 13, P Morton (Westbrook) 13.
Division Three: C Woodhouse (Ovenden WR Res) 35, R Lambert (Ventus/Yeadon Res) 21, R Evans (Huddersfield YMCA) 17, T Wilson (Salts Res) 16, J Raynor (Marsden Res) 16, M Woodhouse (Ovenden WR Res) 16.
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