IT may be the same story as last season for the David Irving, the head coach of the Hogges opponents on Saturday, the Wilmington Hammerheads.

The 2007 season was full of change for the Wilmington outfit with 25 new players and many challenges. Irving was forced to rebuild the team in a very short period of time.

And this season seems no different.

"Our squad has changed considerably (from last season)," said Englishman Irving who played for Everton back in the 1970s. "We only have three or four players from last year. A couple went up to the next level (USL-D1) and of course you lose players."

But Irving said he is looking forward to coming to Bermuda to take on the Hogges.

Last season the Hammerheads beat the Hogges home and away.

In the first game in Bermuda the Hammerheads came away with a 1-0 victory and in the second game they won more convincingly 3-0 at home.

"This will be our first game of the season," said Irving hoping to get off to a good start. And he may have been heartened by the Hogges terrible 6-0 loss to the Charlotte Eagles last weekend.

Last season numerous injuries took their toll on the results for the first matches which all ended in defeat or a draw. However, the Hammerheads got their first victory in front of a home crowd on a stormy June 2 against the Cincinnati Kings. Then came the victory over Bermuda but the result that became most frequent last season was the draw. In fact Wilmington ended seven matches in draws, including four home matches at Legion field.

The Hammerheads were not that great away from home and they lost three of the four last away matches. But the team ended the rocky season on a high note ¿ against the Hogges at home and finished in seventh place in the division, with a 4-9-7 record.

Irving returns this year for his ninth season as head coach and second season as general manager of the club.

He holds an English FA Coaching Badge and has an overall record of 93-47-19 since beginning his reign with the Hammerheads. Irving began his career in coaching with OPS Finland where he served as player/assistant coach. He brought his knowledge of football back to the United States in 1988 when he signed on with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers ¿ where he had played as well ¿ as the Director of Player Personnel/Assistant Coach. The Strikers won the National Championship in 1989.

One person Irving is keen to see in Bermuda is Clyde Best ¿ the former West Ham striker who also played with the Portland Timbers of the North American Soccer League.

"I know big Clyde as I played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers when he was at Portland. I would like to meet up with him when I am down there," said Irving who will arrive on the island with his team today.

While with the Srikers Irving played along side three of the best in the world at their positions ¿ English keeper Gordon Banks, Manchester United's George Best and the great German striker Gerd Muller.

Reflecting on his past days as a player, Irving said: "It's sad that many of those players are not with us today."

After getting married he settled down in the US and when asked about the state of the game there he said: "The MLS came about after they held the World Cup in 1994 and it is well established and of course the US national team has come on in leaps and bounds and they have a number of players playing in Europe now as well. Then you have the USL division one and two which gives people the opportunity to play ¿ every level has its challenges and the youth level is a lucrative business ¿ that is where the money is. But it is difficult to compete with the American sports (NFL, NBA and baseball)."

Besides Everton and the Strikers Irving also played with Sheffield United, Oldham Athletic and the Shamrock Rovers as well as US outfits Tulsa Roughnecks, San Jose Earthquakes, and the Atlanta Chiefs.