SELBY Town have announced the inclusion of their under-21’s team in the Worksop Van Hire North Midlands Development Football League [NMDFL] for the coming season.

Recent changes at Selby have seen the club welcome Dave Haddock back as club chairman, who has been working hard behind-the-scenes to help drive the club forward.

With the club currently beginning to look ahead to their future, Selby have confirmed that their under-21’s outfit will feature in a competitive league for the 2024/25 campaign.

The NMDFL consists of four regional divisions with Selby including the likes of Thorne Colliery, Armthorpe Welfare, Retford, Harworth Colliery, Maltby Main and Worksop Town too.

Upon the completion of the league campaign, a break will take place in which a number of mini-leagues will be formed, with the qualifiers going on to tackle one another in knock-out rounds for another trophy.

Other opportunities for silverware will include a league cup and a ‘Champions of Champions’ competition, contested by the winners of the regional leagues.

The purpose of the league is to allow young players the opportunity to compete at an appropriate level, whilst also potentially earning a position in the Selby first-team under the watch of manager Ryan Cooper.

The league is also an ideal way for clubs to develop talent, with the Robins viewing this decision as a progressive move with experienced coaches in position.

Home matches will take place on Thursday evenings, with the opportunity for Selby fans to show their support to the under-21’s side at a reduced cost compared to the first-team, who currently play their football in the Northern Counties Eastern League division one.

Selby chairman Haddock expressed his delight at the announcement, stating: “When the opportunity of increasing the number of teams involved at the club was put to me, and after listening to the plan that Mark [Lumby, committee member] and his coaching staff had put forward, myself and the committee were immediately excited at the prospect of being able to develop more younger players, and to be able to provide them with a clear progression into the first team.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the team in action, and to give our supporters further opportunity to see quality football at the Fairfax Plant Hire Stadium, with the possibility of seeing some real stars of the future.”