The dust may only just be settling on the final event of 2008 at Outlane last week, but already officials are looking ahead not only to the second half of the season but beyond into the future.

And assistant secretary James Washington said while the organisation was delighted with the progress made in the last few months, it was vitally important to continue the good work and to further develop the Alliance's activities.

"We would not have believed a few months ago that we would reach this position and the progress we have made has been fantastic," he said.

"We had a full entry for the recent events at Ogden and Dewsbury and there were 14 professionals at Outlane, the highest number for a long time.

"But we want to keep developing things and we have a lot of ideas which we are working on."

Washington said he had already had a meeting with Ladies Alliance official Elaine Wheelwright, who incidentally is next year's Lady Captain at Bradley Hall, with regards to introducing regular mixed competitions.

And he said he had been carrying out research on staging an Alliance event outside the Halifax and Huddersfield area to give members an experience of another course, and was also exploring the possibility of inviting teams from neighbouring Alliances such as Leeds to compete in events.

Washington said there were a few minor problems still being faced, with attendance at post-tournament presentations, particularly by professionals, needing to be improved.

He added that unfortunately Huddersfield GC had decided not to follow West End's lead in rejoining the Alliance, though he added that efforts would continue to increase the number of member clubs.

However, that does not detract from the fact that the Alliance is enjoying an undoubted renaissance and after its traditional two month Christmas break will enter 2009 in vibrant shape.

Following the untimely death of former Alliance doyen Roger Heap in August, popular Marsden professional Jim Crompton agreed to stay on as president for another year to allow his eventual successor, the hard working Barry Isles, to continue as secretary for another year.

And with a hardcore group consisting of what Washington said was a "good mix" of four professionals and five amateurs running the Alliance, there is already an air of anticipation over the start of the second half of the 2008/2009 programme.

The action resumes with the Ronnie Parkinson Trophy at Ryburn, which was postponed on its original date in September and has now been rearranged for January 20.

And following this a regular series of events are lined up leading up to the season ending Page Trophy, the Alliance's 36-hole Blue Riband event, which this year takes place at Dewsbury.

The full programme of events is as follows.