The Cumberland County League returns on Saturday for the 2024/25 season, with 18 teams hopeful of a successful campaign.
Eight of them will compete in the Premier Division this season after reigning champions Maryport Athletic had an application to join the West Lancashire League rejected in the summer.
They will be hoping for a successful season once again on the pitch but also to improve off it to help any future applications.
Aspatria host Maryport on the opening day, after finishing in second place last season, they will be looking to go one further and lift the title.
Cleator Moor Celtic Reserves finished in third last season, only a point deduction and goal difference prevented them finishing higher in a good season for the club who managed the whole league campaign without drawing a match.
They face a tricky first day season opener when they travel to Carlisle to face Unisun Athletic. Unisun have finished fourth in the last two consecutive seasons since gaining promotion to the Premier Division and manager Jonathan Knott is aiming for a higher finish this campaign.
Elsewhere, nearly promoted Keswick will be targeting a strong campaign after last season’s Division One title success and not losing a league fixture is their Cumberland County League debut season.
They host Wigton Harriers, a club who finished second bottom in the league last year and who will be wanting to put that behind them and target a higher finish this time round.
In the fourth fixture on Saturday, Cockermouth host Whitehaven Miners Social. Cockermouth finished second in Division One last term and bounce back to the Premier Division after one season away.
Their opponents, Miners finished a respectable fifth last season but will also set their sights on higher up the table.
In Division One for the new season there are three newcomers among the ten competing for the title – Cockermouth Reserves, Unisun Athletic Youth Development and Workington Juniors the new arrivals.
With no teams relegated from the Premier Division last season after Gosforth and Workington Reds Development both left the league in the summer, competition for the title looks strong.
Whitehaven Reserves finished in third last term and will be aiming for the title this campaign when they travel to Bransty Rangers on the opening day. Bransty themselves will feel they can improve on last year’s seventh finish.
Dearham United finished just behind Whitehaven Reserves in fourth place on goal difference in the debut campaign. They are also on the road as they travel to face Whitehaven Miners Social Development who finished bottom last time and will be eager to do better this season.
Mirehouse, who finished sixth last season, host Windscale Reserves who finished a point and a place ahead of them in fifth in this season’s opener.
Despite finishing second bottom on eight points last season, Silloth improved massively from the season before when they failed to pick up any points so they will be hoping to improve once again this season. They are away to new boys Workington Juniors
In the fifth Division One tie scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Unisun Athletic Youth Development host Cockermouth reserves in both teams debut games in the Cumberland County League.
Full Saturday fixtures, all 2pm kick offs:
Premier Division
- Aspatria v Maryport Athletic
- Cockermouth v Whitehaven Miners Social
- Keswick v Wigton Harriers
- Unisun Athletic v Cleator Moor Celtic Reserves
Division One
- Bransty Rangers v Whitehaven AFC Reserves
- Mirehouse v Windscale Reserves
- Unisun Athletic Youth Development v Cockermouth Reserves
- Whitehaven Miners Social Development v Dearham United
- Workington Juniors v Silloth
