Reserves pull out of league

Last updated : 05 July 2006 By Tony Scholes

Reserve team coach Steve Davis
Preston were missing after Billy Davies had made the decision to pull them out of the league, but it left us with two more matches than in the 2005/06 season. That increased to four more matches when new manager Paul Simpson was able to reverse the Davies decision and get Preston back in – or so we thought.

There had been nothing said by Burnley, but suddenly the fixtures are out for next season's Pontin's League and Burnley are not mentioned. We have decided not to have a reserve team in the Pontin's League for the first time in around twenty years when, as a fourth division club, we pulled out for two years.

I can only assume we will play friendly games next season but with the bigger first team squad it will mean some players could go months with no competitive football whatsoever.

There's no doubt some of the youngsters were playing too often last season but with a bigger first team squad for next season it would have allowed us to play a more experienced team in the reserve league than has been the case in the last two or three seasons.