SECRETARY Colin Lewis says “a big void’’ has been left in his life after he was forced to disband one of the Chippenham & District Sunday League’s oldest sides.

Premier Division Bradford News announced they were pulling out of the league last week after 26 years because of a lack of players.

Lewis, who worked as a compositor at the Wiltshire Times for 18 years from 1968, founded the team under that name in 1976, initially playing friendlies.

The club, which went through several further name changes from Newsprint United through Avon News and finally to Bradford News, joined the Devizes Sunday League at the start of the 1980s before linking up with the Chippenham League for the 1985-86 season.

Lewis, of Holbrook Lane in Trowbridge, said: “It’s very sad. I’ve always been in love with football and I’ve been involved playing, managing or being secretary or treasurer for all those years.

“It’s part of me because I’ve been there the whole time, but unfortunately, there just isn’t the commitment.

“We’ve had eight players available on some weeks. We had a lot of players move on elsewhere and haven’t had many new players in.’’

News, whose recent home pitch was at Bradford Town FC on Trowbridge Road, were virtual ever-presents in the top two divisions of the league, finishing runners-up in the Premier Division in 1994-95 and winning the Division One title in 1997-98.

They were also beaten finalists in the league’s WG Parr Trophy in the 1990-91 season.

Lewis, who was also secretary of Bradford Town for 12 years, added: “I’ll keep the option open that we might be able to restart things, if we get some new players.’’