Most teams are now dipping into the second half of their fixture lists, yet in terms of matches played the first division has yet to catch up with the similarly sized second as at the turn of the year. Nevertheless two wins by Newcastle  A has put themselves in position to be shot at by the rest of the league. Not that there will be shooting in February. With the open cup semis scheduled for the first week, there are only 3 division one fixtures listed for this month, and of these Cheddleton A have already postponed their visit to Newcastle. Seems I'll be reporting no change in this division at the end of the month!

Division two has seen a slight stretching but otherwise no real change.

Last month I suggested that a loss or two for Meir in division three could leave them vulnerable to the chasing pack. One point from their three January matches certainly represents a hiccup, with Fenton closing to within a point despite losing one of their matches. Cheddleton F and Kidsgrove both jumped above the Newcastle pair, with the former now probably slight favourites for the title. Crewe Bishops also scored well during the month, leaving Cheddleton G as the only team out of contention for a top half finish.

Crewe Pawns have reclaimed the top spot in division four from Fenton B whilst at the other end of the table Alsager C and Newcastle E both picked up their first wins of the season to leave a four way tie in the race for the division's wooden spoon.

Winning both of their January matches has enabled Cheddleton K to jump clear at the top of the fifth division, though the break can hardly be called decisive.