PONTELAND United Reserves are the second team to benefit from somebody else’s misery this season.

As the favourites to take the Northern Alliance Development Division title in their first season since moving from the now defunct Tyneside Amateur League, the Reserves were asked to make the step up to Division Two last week after Burradon resigned from the league.

While the 2019-2020 season was declared null and void due to the coronavirus outbreak ending the season prematurely in March, meaning all promotions and relegations were scrubbed out, Ponteland are the second team to gain promotion after Division Two favourites Haltwhistle Jubilee were asked to make the step up to Division One.