PICKERING Town will have to contend with a new league for the 2023/24 season.

The Pikes have been moved laterally from the Ebac Northern League back to the Toolstation Northern Counties East League as part of the Football Association’s annual restructure.

It will be the Ryedale outfit’s first season back in the NCEL since 2017/2018, in which they secured promotion to the Pitching In Northern Premier League under former Tadcaster Albion manager Paul Marshall after finishing runners-up to Cleethorpes Town.

The move will likely be a welcome, but expected one for Rudy Funk’s charges, who found it hard to find their feet in the Northern League last season as one of the division’s most southernmost clubs.

Weekly trips to the North East saw the club struggle to recruit local players capable of dealing with the travel commitments, strength and intensity of what is widely regarded as one of the country’s toughest Step Five leagues.

Such was that task, the Pikes spent much of 2023 in the relegation zone, only confirming their great escape with a 2-1 victory over West Auckland Town on the final day of the season, having picked up a remarkable 10 points from their final four fixtures.

Pickering fans will also now have two North Yorkshire derbies to look forward to against both Knaresborough Town and newly-relegated Tadcaster Albion, and have reacted positively to the news.

One wrote: “Great news. With an experienced manager like Rudy at the helm who is a proven winner at this level, the club is in a much better place,” while another said: “That’s a relief. We were dangerously out of our depth in the Northern and learning the hard way the quality up there.”

l NCEL Premier Division 2023/24: Albion Sports, Barton Town, Bottesford Town, Campion, Eccleshill United, Emley AFC, Frickley Athletic, Garforth Town, Golcar United, Handsworth, Hallam, Hemsworth Miners Welfare, Knaresborough Town, Maltby Main, Penistone Church, Pickering Town, Rossington Main, Silsden, Tadcaster Albion, Thackley.