SKIPPER Stephen Depledge could not quite engineer an Otley victory in his final game for the club as they lost 22-20 at home to Harrogate in National League Two North last Saturday, but that should not dim his contribution to the Cross Greeners over seven years.

The 28-year-old scrum half, who has played for the famous Yorkshire club for six of those seasons (he had a year at Fylde), is moving to east Cheshire.

Depledge, who will continue to teach PE in Sheffield, is tenth in Otley's all-time league appearance list with 168 (team-mate Adam Blades is ninth on 171), third on their points chart with 547 (he passed Dan Clappison's 546 during the match with his two penalties and two conversions) and third on their tries chart with 45.

But forwards' coach Mark Luffman knows that Depledge's contribution cannot be measured by statistics alone.

The former Otley hooker said: "He was the first player to pit his hand up and join us after we were relegated and had lost a lot of our players.

"He has been a great servant, a stalwart for the club and has been the heartbeat of the team for six of the last seven seasons in terms of teamwork and team ethics."

Depledge said: "This is my fourth straight year back here and it has been a honour to captain the club.

"We had a great first three-quarters of the season but have fallen away in the last quarter.

"We have lost our last six, but the only walloping we got was against Tynedale, and the defeats have not been due to a lack of effort in training or in matches.

"But although we haven't the biggest squad in the division and have suffered because of injuries, we have made progress.

"We finished the season in eighth place and have scored some great tries but I see no reason why we cannot get in the top six next season."