Local sides looking to make progress

All four of our local sides in the Bridgewater Office Supplies Manchester League will be hoping to build on last season when the 2009-10 campaign begins tomorrow.

Springhead, who finished as runners-up last time round, face a difficult start when they travel to play arch-rivals East Manchester, followed by a midweek trip to title holders Gregorians.

Andy Revill and Lee McAllister will again take charge of managerial duties and both are aware that repeating last term’s success might be a tall order.

McAllister said: “Our expectation levels have been raised and we were undoubtedly the surprise package in the league last season.

“This is a difficult league to win, but I’m hoping for the top four at least.”

Tom Maloney, Lee Clark, Paul Ogden and Mick Naylor are the new additions to the Springhead squad - which has an average age of just 22 years - but McAllister is hoping for big things from some of his established players.

McAllister added: “Ryan Shaughnessy, Richard Bennett, Dale Jackman and Paul Stevenson are just some of the players I am pinning a lot of faith in this season.

“The good thing for us is that we didn’t lose any players in the close season.”

Paul Bennett is the man at the helm at Hollinwood, who finished fifth last season.

Bennett, who took over from Mark Howard as manager last December is confident, though, of a vast improvement.

He said: “With all the new additions to the squad, both in playing and managerial terms, I really think we can push for the title.

“Ricky Blackman and Phil (Bruno) Brown will add undoubted weight to the managerial side, while Ryan and Anthony Cook, Darren Murray and Chris Jepson will give us a new dimension.”

Hollinwood, who begin their campaign at home to Old Alts, will have to reckon without last season’s leading goalscorer, Alan Beckett, whose ankle injury sustained towards the end of last season is likely to sideline him for another two months.

Royton Town’s form at the end of last season was worthy of title success, but it came after a slow start to the campaign which cost them a chance of honours.

Town manager Phil Haigh, now into his fourth season at the helm, said: “I’m hoping we start better than we normally do as we always seem to be playing catch-up.”

Town begin with a trip to Elton Vale with a squad almost identical to the one that finished last term.

Andrew Fitzsimmons, son of well-known former local goalkeeper, John, will assist Haigh with managerial duties alongside Peter Wild and Mark Howard, who also has responsibility for Town’s new junior section.

AVRO kick off their campaign on Saturday with Atherton Town the visitors to the Lancaster Club.

Manager Rob Fuller, who will be assisted by Bobby Jones, has signed Robert Hall from Curzon Ashton and Calvin White from Curzon Ashton.

AVRO finished fifth in the top flight last term and are confident of at least matching that this time round.

And youth is very much on the agenda at AVRO, with many of last season’s under-19’s side graduating to the reserve team.

Old Alts and Dukinfield Town are the two newcomers to the division.