Pitching In to the new season: Premier Division

We published our supporters predicted league tables yesterday, and they came with few surprises. Your favourites, Bishop’s Stortford, were last season’s runners up, and they welcome Haringey Borough. The Blues have had a generally positive pre-season, and defeated a young Colchester United side this week to set themselves up for a return to the day job; whilst their visitors have had a fabulous pre-season, scored lots of goals and won the Cheshunt Community Cup, defeating the promoted Ambers along the way. The last time the two met, back in February, the Blues won six-nil- but we expect a much more resilient Borough this afternoon.

Folkestone Invicta fans, buoyed by the return of star striker Ira Jackson Jr this week, travel to face an Enfield Town side without their star striker, as Mo Faal moved upwards. The Towners have worked hard to fill that void, and have had some fine pre-season moments, whilst Invicta have won their last three matches of pre-season and look ready for the challenge to come. Neil Cugley’s men took four points from six last season, winning three-two at the QEII Stadium last December.

Hornchurch, defeated in that heartbreaking Play Off Final against Cheshunt, have strengthened notably during the summer, signing Folkestone Invicta striker David Smith and Dagenham defender Kenny Clarke as they look to challenge for promotion once more. They travel to face a Bognor Regis Town side who have looked confident in pre-season, and who announced their latest two Portsmouth loanees yesterday. The Urchins left Nyewood Lane with three points last season, and the return match last April ended three-three.

Billericay Town, back with us after a few years away, are amongst your favourites for promotion. The Blues start the campaign by welcoming Cray Wanderers, both sides hoping for a better campaign this time around, the hosts suffering relegation and their visitors escaping it by the skin of their teeth. The two clubs haven’t met since 2014.

Lewes are amongst the promotion favourites, and the Rooks are on the road to face one of the relegation favourites, Wingate & Finchley out to prove that those predictions are entirely incorrect. Lewes have played their entire pre-season away from home due to pitch work at the Dripping Pan, whilst the Blues have had home draws with Tonbridge Angels and a Norwich City side in recent weeks. Today’s hosts took four points from the Rooks last season, and indeed have become a bit of a bogey side for the Rooks, who have taken only two points from their last fifteen against these opponents.

Cup holders Horsham are on the road to Canvey Island. The Hornets have strengthened impressively over the summer, recruits including Luca Cocoracchio from Worthing, Daniel Ajakaiye from Kingstonian and Jack Mazzone from Met Police, whilst the Blues will still be on a high from their Play Off Final win. Amongst Cabvey’s arrivals are Callum Boylan, Joe Paxman, Callum Sturgess and Danny Parish. It is more than a decade since the two last met in a league encounter.

Carshalton Athletic, under new management, will be hoping to put an indifferent 2021-22 behind them as they welcome Brightlingsea Regent. Iffy Allen, Walter Figueira , Calvin Ekpiteta, Reise Allassani and Bobby Mills are amongst the significant signings for Steve McKimm over the summer, whilst the Regents faithful will have been particularly impressed with new arrival Ollie Sotoyinbo, who has been knocking in the goals in pre-season. The visitors have been predicted to be favourites for the drop, so will want to be starting off well to prove otherwise.

We’ve a battle of two new sides at Pilot Field, as Hastings United welcome Aveley to the seaside. Both clubs have, in the main, looked to give their promotion-winners a chance at the higher level, with no wholesale changes announced so far, and it will be intriguing to see who comes out on top. A big crowd is expected, take plenty of sunscreen! The two haven’t met often; the last time they did the Millers triumphed, a win in the FA Trophy a couple of years ago.

Margate welcome Kingstonian to the seaside. Both sides have changed managers and seen a turnover of players during the summer, so it’s rather difficult to predict what might happen- although our supporters have predicted a mid table season for both sides. It isn’t long since the two last met- indeed the K’s were at Hartsdown Park for the last match of last season, the hosts triumphing two-one and perhaps cancelling out a three-one win for the K’s earlier in the campaign. Kingstonian have won only one of their last four meetings.

Corinthian-Casuals and Bowers & Pitsea, another two sides who are under new management, meet at King George’s Field. There have been a number of arrivals and departures at both sides, and they both look to be in periods of transition, so we look forward to finding out which of the two will settle first. Last season saw Bowers win three-nil here, whilst Casuals triumphed at the Len Salmon.

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