Wakefield Football Club could be heading to Huddersfield.

An intriguing development could bring the original Emley, founded in 1903, back to the village they put on the national football map before relocating amid controversy in 2000.

Preliminary talks have taken place with AFC Emley, who were founded in 2005, over sharing the Welfare Ground.

That was the home the first club, who had played at Premier League West Ham in the third round of the FA Cup two seasons earlier, left because of problems in meeting the ground criteria demanded by the Northern Premier League, to which they had won promotion in 1989.

Twenty five years on, an increased rent demand means Wakefield will quit both the city's rugby league stadium and the Northern Premier League at the end of this season.

The most likely destination will be the Northern Counties East League, to which they could be relegated in any case and of which AFC Emley are already members.

At this stage there is no suggestion of an amalgamation, but Wakefield spokesman Pete Bevils revealed talks have taken place over groundsharing.

"We need somewhere to play, and there are a number of clubs out there who would like to share their ground because of the income it would bring," said Bevils, whose club have also been linked with a potential move to Nostell Miners' Welfare, also of the Northern Counties East League.

"It's highly unlikely we will remain at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, because the amount of rent they are seeking is untenable for us.

"Emley would be suitable in geographical terms, and while I understand the decision to move to Wakefield was controversial, a lot of water
has passed under the bridge since then.

"We certainly have no issues with AFC Emley, and I don't think they have any with us."

The original Emley, who were founder members of the Northern Counties East League in 1982, played at Wembley in the 1988 FA Vase final and
knocked then-Football League club Lincoln out of the FA Cup to clinch their trip to West Ham, came close to winning promotion to the Conference in their first season at Wakefield.

But fortunes, and gates, have fallen in recent years, with the club moving to College Grove, previously home to Wakefield's now defunct rugby union team, and groundsharing with Ossett Town before moving back in with the Wildcats two years ago.

AFC Emley have been members of the Northern Counties East League since 2006, but have so far been unable to win promotion to the Premier
Division.           

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