"OK, here we go with a new season and it's time to assess the prospects for the 2007-8 Cambrian Tyres Aberystwyth League Season.
Having already blown the element of surprise by posting my predictions on the 'fixtures' page, I'll recap what I stated there.
Division 1
Division One will be interesting this year, as the absence of Bow Street has left a gap for other teams to fill at the top.
The title contenders will probably be the usual suspects: Penparcau, Tregaron, maybe Penrhyncoch Reserves, but the promotion of Aberystwyth Town Thirds and Tywyn/Bryncrug Reserves perhaps adds something new to the mix.
Personally, I believe Penparcau will emerge as champions, and certainly there are a lot of confident noises from the direction of Min-y-Ddol. They usually emerge with some silverware, but this year I think the emphasis is on the league rather than the cup competitions.
Probably, the only team that could topple them are Tregaron, who were the surprise package last year, playing some excellent football on the way to second place and the Emrys Morgan Cup. The one thing that could stop them pushing Penparcau all the way is their lack of depth. No reserve team in Division Two, which is something most of the top teams have now, plus there were a few bad results last season when injuries afflicted the squad.
If they can all stay fit though Tregaron will be right up there and could repeat last season's Emrys Morgan Cup triumph.
Certainly the brewing rivalry with Penparcau will be one of the highlights of the campaign.
Penrhyn Res had a disappointing campaign last term, the famous fifteen point deduction ensuring their season never really got started. However, they did sustain some surprising defeats, and will require more consistency in order to challenge Tregaron and Penparcau. They are never to be ruled out, but I think Penrhyn will be happy if they finish third.
Bont were early pacesetters, but they dropped from contention after Xmas. This season they will be hoping for more consistency through the year. Perhaps not title challengers, but they could be a good side bet for one of the cups.
Dolgellau are a bit of an enigma, you can never be sure which side is going to turn up. Upper mid-table again for them is probable, unless they've managed to find that little bit extra in the off-season that could propel them to the higher levels.
Talybont had a good first season back in Division One, and they'll be looking to push on from that. However, I think they'll be quite happy with another mid-table finish.
Llanrhystud had a poor campaign last season, but I think they'll do better this year. I heard a comment that they were "three or four players short" of a title-contention team, but success in one of the cups shouldn't be ruled out.
Llanilar may struggle, having lost influential goalkeeper Nathan Bennett to Bow Street in the off-season. It will be difficult for new manager Richard Pugh to replace Bennett, and that could mean trouble for Llanilar. Another scrap at the foot of the table is all I can predict for them this season.
Alas, it is also all I can predict for Aberdyfi. Believe me, if I could avoid tipping them for difficult times I would, as their supporters seem to think I have some sort of a vendetta against them. That isn't the case, and if they do well this season I'll be the first to admit I was wrong.
As for UWA Res, well, I guess much depends on how many decent football players applied for Aberystwyth University this year.
Which brings us to the new teams. Both Aber Town Thirds and Tywyn Res were promoted at a canter last year, and that leads me to suspect they'll be in the top half of the league this year. I think the Thirds are more likely to challenge for the league than Tywyn based on their league superiority last year, but perhaps it's a little too soon for both sides to break into the top two.
Again, the cups could provide a source of silverware.
Division 2
In Division Two, Padarn will seek to bounce back immediately, and could well achieve that goal.
Bow Street Res will be stronger given the involvement of the senior side at a higher level, while I think Machynlleth could also challenge at the top this year.
Llanilar Reserves have dropped out of the league, but their space has been filled with the interesting inclusion of a team from the National Library of Wales. This season will be a learning experience for them, but it's good to see a new name amongst the Division Two ranks.
The season starts Friday night with Talybont vs. Bont (will there be an opening ceremony?).
Saturday's games see Aber Town Thirds kick off against Llanilar, Aberdyfi play Penrhyn Res, Penparcau visit Dolgellau, while Tregaron travel to Llanrhystud.
There is also a full programme of games on Wednesday night (just like the Premiership!) while Division Two does not kick off until a week on Thursday.
Finally, to end on a sad note, I'm sure news will have spread of the tragic death of Llanilar player Gareth Jenkins last Friday. All the people who I've spoken to, whether in football or not, have talked about how great a person Gareth was, and how much he'll be missed at his club. I'm sure everyone in the league will join me in sending our sympathies to his family and friends."
Written by Lee Taylor from Aberystwyth.
Lee Taylor's Match Reports Index...Fixtures...Division 1 Table... Division 2 Table...
