ONE of local football's oldest competitions is in danger of folding.

The Westhoughton Charity Cup, which has been raising funds for local charities since it was first staged in 1893, has been scrapped this summer because of a lack of organisers.

It could be revived as an end of season knockout but only if sufficient volunteers step forward to ease the burden of the current committee.

"We don't want to see the charity cup fold," committee spokesman Bob Naylor insisted, "but it is in jeopardy.

"The lack of interest off the field from the committee point of view means we won't be running it as a pre-season competition as we have in recent years. If there is sufficient interest it may revert to its old format at the end of the 1997-98 season.

"It's future beyond that will depend on the response we get but at this stage the Westhoughton Charity Cup is in jeopardy."

The competition has survived various crises down the years and has folded before through lack of interest.

"It's the old story of people being taken for granted," Mr Naylor added. "Competitions like these don't organise themselves.

"It could still survive but we need some genuine interest, otherwise we might have to call it a day."

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