Saints will end drought

THE thought of competitive football in August is never one that gets me excited.

Evening cricket should be done and dusted before a ball is kicked in anger.

But with this year's Barclays Wealth Evening League becoming ever more convoluted and tiresome with needless round-robin playoffs ahead of a grand finals day, I find myself yearning for the relative simplicity of a football match.

So what sort of footy season will we see as it embarks with serious question marks hanging over the future of the under-21 development league?

Putting the under-21 slide aside for a moment, football at the top end promises to be just as intriguing as last year's campaign when barely a Division One game could be called before kick-off, the silverware was spread around nicely and neither St Martin's nor North won a thing. Who would have thought that, eh?

I strongly fancy, though, that it will be Saints' year this time and, given their strength in depth, not before time.

It is six years since black-and-white ribbons were attached to the old Priaulx Trophy and, if they do not get it right this year, serious questions need to be answered.

But it will not be easy for Colin Fallaize's men and I pin my favourite's tag on the black-and-whites only on the basis of the sheer weight in numbers in their first-team squad and that they should be bolstered by the return to regular action of goalkeeper Nathan Pattimore and the exciting midfielder Ben Coulter.

Saints are one of four sides who can win the title and when was the last time you could say that going into a new season?

Champions Bels, revived North and Clydesdale FA Cup champions Rangers will all quietly fancy their chances of lifting the title if, and it is a big IF, everything falls into place and they steer clear of injuries to key players.

Bels can retain their title through the weight of goals you would expect Dave Rihoy, Neil Le Cheminant and Craig Young to score. But have they the depth of squad if injuries intervene as they did going into the FA Cup final where they were comfortably beaten by Rangers?

Talking of which.

Rangers are the darkest horse of the lot.

They looked a very able team the night they won the FA Cup and with Billy Page and Naro Zimmerman now aboard physically they will be very strong and have extra firepower.

Ross Allen will give them a chance in any game and with Dale Garland likely to return full-time to playing after the Commonwealth Games their attacking options are excellent.

And if Tom Le Tissier plays regularly I would happily place an each-way bet on Paul Ockleford's side.

North are the big imponderable.

Look at their likely first XI and you have to say that it is good enough to beat anyone and take them to the top come April. But if the misfortune of the second half of last season is not shaken off they could comfortably slip out of the top four such is the competition provided by the expected improving Athletics, Vale Rec and, you never know, Rovers.

That said, I expect North to be an altogether more happy and unified set of chocolate-and-blues this winter and that cheeriness and revitalised backroom organisation to bear fruit.

It really is all too close to call though, other than say Sylvans are very likely to take the wooden spoon.

I wish Dave Gilman the best of luck at a difficult time in taking over at St Peter's, a club that is in fantastic health at all levels except at first-team.

To their credit, though, Sylvans has rediscovered its old charm as a great community club and perhaps are now operating under firmer foundations than ever before. They are a credit to the game.

As for the under-21s would there not be deep irony if that league goes under altogether and it could happen.

Whisper has it that Rangers are not over-enamoured at the thought of operating in a four-team format and you could excuse a crafty smirk at GFA board level if one or two of those clubs who drove a return to an under-18 league find they have nowhere to play their best under-21s and lose some.

Let's hope that amid the current mess the GFA board can pull some miraculous solution out of the bag and a very worthwhile league remains.

It is the wrong league to go.