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TWELVE clubs have been invited to become founder members of the North East Premier League in the year 2000.

They include three of the region's 1998 champions, Norton of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League, Northumberland County League champions Benwell Hill and Durham Academy of the Durham Senior League.

For the first two years there will be no promotion or relegation but, from 2002, any of the league champions from Durham or Northumberland will be able to apply to replace the bottom club in the Premier league.

If that application proves to be successful, the relegated club would return to its original feeder league, although misgivings have been expressed in some quarters about the nuts and bolts of this arrangement.

The Durham board are due to present final details of the project to Thursday's meeting of the ECB Premier Leagues Assessment Panel at Lord's.

The remaining clubs invited to join the Premier League next year are Darlington, Stockton and Bishop Auckland of the NYSD, Gateshead Fell, Chester-le-Street and Sunderland from the Durham Senior League and Jesmond, South Northumberland and Tynemouth from the Northumberland County League.