ROLLS-ROYCE LEISURE kick off in the Central Midlands League's (CML) Supreme Division, while LINBY COLLIERY WELFARE and HUCKNALL ROLLS LEISURE begin their campaigns in the Notts Senior League's (NSL) Senior Division.

Rolls will be hoping to put behind them a poor year in the CML last term when they finished third from bottom, despite bringing in two new managers, Steve Clifford and Dave Bradshaw, to work alongside established guru John Cheetham.

They only escaped relegation because of a re-organisation of the non-league ladder, which resulted in several Supreme Division clubs leaving to move up to the newly-created East Midlands Counties League (EMCL).

It was the third time in the last five seasons that Rolls had earned a reprieve from the drop after finishing in the bottom three of the table.
Not since 2001/02, when they were runners-up under Phil Towle, have they pulled up any trees.

Bradshaw has now resigned, leaving Clifford and Cheetham at the helm. But with the club not in a position to pay players, they openly admit that they must rely heavily on the products of their successful under-19s' side to trigger a much-needed revival.

Rolls open their 2008/09 campaign tomorrow (Saturday) with a trip to Harworth, who have been promoted to the top flight, despite finishing fourth from bottom in the Premier Division last season.

EAGER to overtake Clifford and Cheetham's outfit as the number one club at Rolls-Royce are Hucknall Rolls Leisure, who start their second season in the NSL tomorrow after switching from Bestwood Miners Welfare.

If it's anything like their first one, they will be challenging for the title because Jez Corthorn and Paul Jordan's men went through the whole of 2007/08 without losing a single league game.

Leisure cantered to the First Division title by the huge margin of 23 points after winning 31 of their 34 games and plundering 115 goals.

They also won the Notts FA Intermediate Cup and now they are hopeful of making their mark in the Senior Division.

As Bestwood, they were little better than a mid-table outfit. But they now boast a much stronger squad, which includes four acquisitions from derby-rivals, Linby, Anthony Wallis, Duncan Paterson, Alistair Murray and Charlie Niblett.

The most notable signing is Wallis, who joins a midfield already loaded with talent, most notably skipper Jonathan 'Toddy' Wass and arguably the best player in the First Division last term, Dan Lee.

Leisure begin their fixtures with tricky trips (tomorrow) to Boots Athletic, who finished fourth last term, and then (next Tuesday night) to Kimberley Miners Welfare.

Meanwhile Linby go into the new season not knowing quite what to expect after mixed fortunes in 07/08.

Having finished as high as fourth the previous year, they slid to 11th last term. But they did reach the final of the league cup, albeit to be readily outclassed by league champions Caribbean Cavaliers.

Manager Kev Corbett remains in charge and has managed to replace Wallis with an equally mercurial character in Jonty Bradshaw. But he has also lost top scorer Andy Start, who has joined Gedling Town in the new ECML, and influential midfielder Dale Catlow.

Much could depend on the experience of Dave Elson and Darren Dickens at the back, the probing of Pete Campbell in midfield and the emergence of youngsters like striker Damian Mann.

Linby open their season tomorrow with a home fixture against Attenborough, who finished three places above them last season.

THE NSL has been expanded from two divisions to three for the new campaign. And among the new clubs joining are BULWELL, champions for the past two seasons of the Notts Amateur Alliance.

Bulwell have been placed in Division One, while LINBY COLLIERY WELFARE RESERVES and the newly-formed HUCKNALL ROLLS LEISURE RESERVES will play in Division Two. All three begin their fixtures later this month.

ANOTHER local team to have left the Amateur Alliance are BULWELL TOWN, who have moved to the CML to play in the Premier Division.

Town, whose home ground is Goosedale Lane in Bestwood Village, start their season a week tomorrow (Saturday August 23).