SUNDAY League football clubs across Northumberland face a 'bleak future' according to the long-standing President of the Morpeth Sunday League.
Syd Johnson, who has also been Secretary since the League started in 1962, says teams at adult level are facing an uphill battle because of a player shortage and financial hardship.
Just last season, a number of teams were forced to resign from le
agues throughout the County as the crisis took hold.
And with pitch hire charges expected to rocket this coming campaign, and sponsorship opportunities becoming ever limited in the crippling financial climate, there is a fear that more teams could come to rest in the ever-growing graveyard of grass roots football.
Mr Johnson said: "Running a football club is now a very expensive undertaking and there is a financial burden which few clubs will be able to meet in addition to their normal running costs."
A representative from one Morpeth Sunday League side echoed Mr Johnson's concerns.
He said: "Our pitch has gone up from £280 last year to £300 for the new season. Although this figure is small compared to other clubs it still means with only nine home games in our division next season we will be paying a ridiculous £33.33 for each match at home. Add the ref and laundry for strips and this puts us at approximately £60 per home match, which in my opinion is scandalous."
Clubs could also sink because of a wave of player shortages.
Mr Johnson added: "There has been great growth in small-sided and junior age groups, for several years, but it appears that the transition to the adult stage is slowing down.
"The young players now seem to end their careers as soon as they reach adulthood, most having played from the age of eight years or so, to U19 level. The established Sunday clubs are struggling to attract new blood, and the number of experienced players is dwindling."
The Morpeth Sunday League already bears the scars of this dramatic footballing downturn.
Last season, nine clubs fell by the wayside, the equivalent of nearly 25 percent of the League's membership.
And while three new teams have joined for this season, the numbers are still down.
It is a similar case in both the Cramlington and District Sunday Football League and the Blyth and Wansbeck Sunday League, which are also facing a decrease.
