BURY’S junior supremo Paul Belston says the club are relishing the switch to the Bolton Association where the club’s youngsters will be playing in their junior league.

The burgeoning youth set up at Radcliffe Road is helping to give the current Manchester Association Premier League table-topping side an optimistic future, but Belston reckons the club will go from strength to strength when they make the move to the Association next season.

The club is already reaping the rewards from ground work done two years ago when Bury entered the Under- 9s in the Central Lancashire League and that crop of players have now developed into two u11s teams who now play in the Bury and District Merit League.

Youngsters in the u13s and u15s also play in the Central Lancashire League while the u16s and u18s compete in the Manchester and Salford Youth League. All the teams are in the top three of their respective league, which, according to Belston, bodes well for the Bury senior side in years to come.

“The fact that our senior side is moving leagues will in turn allow our juniors to compete, learn and develop to a very good standard in the Bolton Association junior leagues.

“Each year it gets more difficult to recuit youngsters to play the great game of cricket, which, as we know, teaches great values and helps keep alive the spirit of the game in the Bury area.”

Belston reckons Bury’s location near the town centre makes it harder to recruit players because the catchment area is not as obvious as it is for more localised clubs.

“Hopefully the club will now attract and keep hold of talented youngsters where, at times in the past, this has not been the case,” he added.

Anyone youngster interested in joining the club can contact Belston on 07835 312366.