New-boys Highley aim to upset odds

Highley, last season’s Mid Shropshire champions, play their first-ever match among the county’s elite tomorrow night when they travel to Burway, before then visiting Newport on Friday.

Dixon, who has replaced Geoff Wylde as captain, revealed his team are approaching the campaign in optimistic mood.

He said: “We’re ready to grab the bull by the horns and try to upset the apple cart a bit.

“Maybe we won’t be competing right at the top but we’ve got a really good team spirit and we want to give it a really good go. We will be fielding a strong team every week.”

The Bridgnorth Road outfit’s presence in the Premier League is the culmination of a project first started by Wylde, with the club now consisting almost exclusively of Staffordshire-based players.

Winter recruits include Reece Farr and Jack Hill, who have returned to the club after time away. Staffordshire’s Paul Busby and Danny Statham are also set to be regulars having played only occasionally last term.

Dixon continued: “It is going to be a bit of a step into the unknown for most of our players.

“For many of them the away greens are more familiar than our home one at the moment and I would expect us to take a few scalps on our travels. This has been a process, started by Geoff, which has probably moved faster than any of us expected.

“When we beat Hanmer in the play-off to clinch promotion last season we changed the words of the Wolves song and were singing ‘Geoff had a dream’ in the clubhouse.

“There is a bit of a buzz around the place at the moment and we hope to continue that.”

Hanmer hope to make the most of their reprieve and avoid another struggle at the foot of the table.

It had looked like they would miss out on Premier League action this year following relegation, but the demise of Bowring has provided another chance. And skipper Dave Ellison wants to see a return to the kind of form that saw them finish 10th in 2017.

“We’re delighted to be continuing in the league but we know a lot of people will expect us to finish bottom,” he said. “I don’t know whether it was second season syndrome but we had quite a few poor home results last year and we need to get back to making it a fortress.”

Hanmer are boosted by the arrival of former Champion of Champions semi-finalist Matthew Worden. They start with tough trips to St Georges tomorrow and Sir John Bayley on Friday.

“It’s a tough start but it might not be a bad time to play away when the greens aren’t possibly running quite as quick,” added Ellison.

Jesse James hopes his appointment as Burway captain will bring fresh ideas. Burway start at home to new-boys Highley and are planning to give youth a chance.

“We will be bringing a couple of youngsters through from the second team,” he said.

“I think that’s the way to go and will be good for the future of the club.

“Our aim is to do better than we did last year and if everyone can win just one more game then we will achieve that.

“I don’t think we will finish bottom but it’s a very tough league. Highley are a side we don’t know too much about but they have some Staffs players so they will be talented. But I have played in the Mid Shropshire League and there is a step up.”

Skipper Andy Wiggington is eyeing a much-improved performance from Meole Brace this term.

His side finished one off the bottom last year but Wiggington believes they have more strength in depth this time around.

“We haven’t lost anyone and have added three so I believe we can challenge for mid-table,” he said. “Last year we didn’t really have anyone to come in when players lost form or confidence. No we have a squad of 16 I will have to try to keep everyone happy.

“Plus a few of the players were playing in the league for the first time last year, so hopefully they will be improved with a year under their belt.”

Meole Brace begin at home to champions Castlefields tomorrow before going to Burway on Friday.

Chester Road begin their campaign at home to Hanwood with skipper Paul Fowles saying: “If we can get in the top eight or nine then I think we will be happy.

“We have lost a couple of players, although they weren’t regulars.”

Ifton have been hit by the late departure of Ian Metcalfe, who has joined his son Curtis at Wem USC.

Skipper Dickie Jones, who has brought in Wrexham-based player Ian Dutton, believes their 12th-placed finish in 2018 was not a true reflection of their campaign.

“We were eighth or ninth for a long while but we had Leighton Roberts get married on a Friday and he invited most of the squad and so we had a bad result,” said Jones.

“But a lot of the players didn’t play to their full potential last year. Hopefully they will this time.”

Ifton start with back-to-back away games against Newport and St Georges.

Bylet were a surprise package last year and claimed some notable scalps on their way to finishing eighth.

They start at Wrockwardine Wood tomorrow and go to Chester Road on Friday.