SUNDAY League football is set to return to Allendale next season.

A local team has been started by a group of players from the area, and will play a number of friendlies this term before looking to join the Hexham and District Sunday League in time for next year‘s kick off.

To prepare them for the step into the league, they are looking to play friendlies on a weekly basis against the team in Division Two without a fixture due to the odd number of teams in the league. They start with a game on Sunday against second placed Ryton Social Club.

The village has been without a senior football team since Allendale folded during the 2014/2015 season.

But the new bunch of players, mainly coming from Allendale but also from Haydon Bridge and Hexham, will put the area’s fantastic facilities at Allendale Sports Club back into action.

Chris Kelso has taken on the role of secretary and will be at the head of the team, and he is looking forward to the new challenge.

He said: “I have decided to get the senior team back up and running as I felt that my local community needed the football team back.

“It’s also so that, when the younger ones turn 16, they have a place to play. I have wanted to manage a club for some time now and felt that this was the right time.

“If the weather persists then we will be playing as many friendlies as we possibly can, whether that be at our home pitch or away, and these will help the players get used to each other’s playing styles and gives us a chance to prepare ourselves for the type of quality and competition we will be up against.

“We have the full support of Allendale Sports Club.”

Anyone wishing to join Allendale FC, or would like to sponsor the team, can contact Chris by email on chris_kelso@hotmail.co.uk.