BOTH the North Bury Junior League, and myself as secretary, have recently been the subject of much criticism on these pages.

The criticism revolves around a rule passed by the clubs at the recent AGM, whereby a player who is registered with a professional club (Category A players) will no longer be allowed to play in the league. A club submitted this proposed change earlier in the season and clubs have been aware of it since February. After discussion at the AGM, it was voted on and passed by the member clubs.

It was not a committee decision, nor my decision as secretary, but was one proposed by a club and accepted by the other clubs. The ruling merely bring us into line with all other junior leagues in the country in recognising what is now a mandatory instruction from the Football Association.

"League stops players playing football", while not quite as eye-catching a headline as "Man bites dog", is obviously emotive. But there are two sides to every story.

One of your correspondents said that if a league loses its best players, the general standard will go down. Perhaps so, but that did not stop the under-12s inter-league team, without Category A players, from reaching a County Cup Final last year.

Others have written in to say that the best players will always gravitate towards the better clubs. Again, maybe so, but this often causes annoyance, frustration and anger among other teams, particularly the teams the lads have left behind.

Andy Feeley of Bury FC (Your Letters, July 19) says that less talented boys can learn from playing against better players. Try telling that to boys who are being beaten 12-0 every week. They soon lose heart. Indeed, a number of teams dropped out last season after heavy defeats, the boys losing interest and the team eventually folding. Who benefits then?

There are two sides to every argument.

Some teams in the league want the best players, want to win every game by the highest possible score, and have a target of winning the league and cup every season. They are the mini-Manchester Uniteds of this world, even with players as young as seven or eight.

And who is to say that they are wrong?

On the other hand, while taking the game equally seriously, some teams are happy if they win but it is not the end of the world if they lose. The players and parents enjoy the game, enjoy the occasion, and enjoy meeting the opposition. Both sets of teams have as valid a reason for playing football as the other.

As a league, we try to cater for all teams. All players in the under-7, under-8, and under-9 age groups receive a medal. That is enjoyment! We have a goalkeeper of the year and sporting team of the year in all age groups (under-7s to under-14s) besides the league and cup competitions.

We pride ourselves on being a friendly league and take late applications (often an administrative nightmare after the fixtures have been sorted out) in order to provide football for as many teams as possible. Last year we admitted a team as late as December!

This season, more than 220 teams (more than 3,000 boys and girls) will be registered in the North Bury Junior League, so I am sorry if a few boys and their parents feel upset at the decision taken by the majority of the clubs, and are having to make a choice about where they play their football.

PAUL GRESTY,

secretary, North Bury Junior Football League.