SINCE the Costcutter League season was curtailed with championships and relegations decided by a points per game method, there has been continued debate over who would have lifted the Division One title if the campaign had run its course.

Champions for the second successive season, St Dogmaels finished nine points ahead of Cardigan Town with Newcastle Emlyn in third.

There could have been a local derby shoot-out for the championship when Town crossed the Teifi to do battle at School Field and with Emlyn hitting form at the right time and due to visit the top two, it had developed into a three-way fight.

When the end came, Saints had five games to play, their neighbours had played three games fewer while Emlyn had nine outstanding fixtures.

The clash between the leaders and Town was eagerly looked forward to by both clubs and was expected to attract a bumper crowd to the Teifi Estuary village ground.

When the rivals met at King George v Playing Field at the start of the season it ended all square at 1-1, with Dylan Davies on target for the Magpies and Michael Diggle replying for the visitors.

Saints manager Steve Jerry Williams and his charges were also due to host Emlyn and would have been buoyed by a 2-0 win at Parc Emlyn earlier in the campaign.

The north Pembrokeshire high-flyers would have been expected to come out on top against Felinfach and relegated Dewi Stars, but could have faced a tricky assignment at Llandysul, in view of the Swallows going down narrowly at School Field.

In addition to the local derby, Cardigan were to host Emlyn and would surely have gone into the game brimming with confidence after emerging 6-1 winners in the corresponding fixture 10 miles further up the Teifi Valley.

Town would have had home advantage against Lampeter Town, relegated bottom of the pile Aberporth and Llandysul, while visiting Felinfach and Llandysul.

To hold a realistic chance of becoming champions for the 12th time, Emlyn needed to take six points from the games at Cardigan and St Dogmaels.

The Reds were also due to play Lampeter Town home and away, home against Aberporth, Llanboidy and Ffostrasol and visit Llandysul and Felinfach.

While the results will never be known and although the points per game method was not an ideal solution, it was widely accepted that the Football Association of Wales had to make a decision one way or another.

But there will still be those wondering what would have happened without a premature end to the season.