NORTH VILLAGE

Triple Crown champions North Village were by far the creme de la creme of domestic football last season.

Question is, however, how long will they continue to dominate?

Since the beginning of the new millennium, the Reds have won five Charity Cups, three Premier Division championships, two Martonmere Cups, three Friendship Trophy titles and five FA Cups.

And much of the Reds? success in recent years can be directly attributed to their tremendous team depth, perfect blend of youth and experience and team philosophy of playing for each other.

In KO Cup competitions Village have virtually become invincible while consistency has become the Reds? hallmark for success in league play.

With some of the Island?s top footballers among their ranks, Village will begin the 2006-07 season again as the team to beat ? although they could find their work cut out for them against perennial rivals Somerset, Dandy Town and Devonshire Cougars.

?From a coach?s standpoint every team is a threat and last season we took everyone serious,? stated coach Dwayne Adams.

?But if the players can continue to motivate themselves and execute the game plan, then who knows . . . we could be just as successful as we were last season.?

Home venue: Bernard Park

Coach: Dwayne Adams

New arrivals: Albert Caisey, Clinton Caisey

Departed: Adrian Burrows, Patrick Richardson, Gary Augustus, Quincy Paynter

2005-06 league position: First

2005-06 honours: Charity Cup, Friendship Trophy, FA Cup, Premier Division championship

SOMERSET TROJANS

Trojans are among the teams expected to challenge for top honours this campaign.

The West End club enjoyed one of their best seasons in top flight football last year, appearing in a first Martonmere Cup final in 13 years and finishing runners-up to Premier Division champions North Village.

Trojans looked impressive during the early stages last season en route to advancing through to the final of a major cup competition for the first time since 1992.

However, a slim 1-0 loss to Dandy Town on the ?carpet? seemed to deflate Trojans? bubble as they then relinquished their lead in the Premier Division shortly after the Christmas break and played catch-up to Village for the remainder of the season.

?We must learn to persevere when things are not going our way and display a hunger and desire to win because no one is going to give us anything,? Trojans coach Dennis Brown said.

?We must earn or take what we want.?

Home venue: Somerset Cricket Club

Coach: Dennis Brown

New arrivals: Meshach Wade, Dion Stovell, Adrian Burrows (goalkeeper)

Departed: Dawud Tucker, Akil Smith

2005-06 league position: Second

2005-06 Honours: Martonmere Cup runners-up

DEVONSHIRE COUGARS

Cougars last season positioned themselves to emulate their success of 2004-05, but in the end had to settle for a maiden Dudley Eve Champions Cup title.

Andrew Bascome?s team struggled with consistency in league play, but did well to finish in the top three.

Cougars reached the semi-finals of the Martonmere Cup and FA Cup competitions and defeated Village on penalties in the Champions Cup final at Wellington Oval before losing several key players at season?s end, among them midfield schemer Heys Wolfe and veteran striker Aljame Zuill.

Still, with the likes of skipper Kwame Steede, striker Raymond Beach and playmakers Domico Coddington and Kori Goddard in the fold, the Big Cats will surely be one of the teams challenging for bragging rights when the action begins.

?Like any other team we are looking to be competitive in the league and all cup competitions and make an honest account of ourselves,? commented Cougars? assistant coach Gary (Tuba) Mallory.

Home venue: Devonshire Recreation Club

Coach: Andrew Bascome

New arrivals: Ajani Gibbons

Departures: Aljame Zuill, Trevor Smith, Nathan Webb, Dyke Lawrence, Kevin Simpson, Galvin Butterfield, Heys Wolfe

2005-06 league position: Third

2005-06 honours: Dudley Eve Champions Cup

DANDY TOWN

Dandy Town proved to be the number one destination of choice for those players who opted for greener pastures during the off-season transfer period.

And now coach Devarr Boyles could be faced with an unfamiliar challenge ? having to chose a starting XI from a large pool of promising players.

Hornets profited handsomely by acquiring the services of 11 new players to go from pretenders to contenders overnight.

And with veteran striker Carlos Smith still among the ranks, and coach Boyles holding the reins tightly, Hornets are sure to be among those competing for all the spoils this season.

Town appeared in three cup finals last season, winning a first Martonmere Cup in six years and finishing bridesmaids to Village in the Friendship Trophy and FA Cup finals.

?Our aim is to remain consistent throughout the season and go one step further in cup finals,? stated Western Stars Sports Club vice president Cal Blankendal.

Home venue: St.John?s Field

Coach: Devarr Boyles

New arrivals: Heys Wolfe, Tokia Russell, Antwan Russell, Sekai Waldron, Jecoa Tucker, Terry Foote, Antonio Lowe, McLee Smith, Shakir Smith, Kemon Simmons, David Signor

Departed: Gary Adams, Raymond Burgess

2005-06 league position: Fourth

2005-06 honours: Martonmere Cup champions, Friendship Trophy and FA Cup runners-up

PHC ZEBRAS

With Kyle Lightbourne at the helm, expectations are high at PHC this season.

The Warwick club have not celebrated a major title since winning a ninth Friendship Trophy in 2001-02.

And despite advancing to the Friendship Trophy and FA Cup semi-finals last season, Zebras struggled in the league and failed to recapture the cup-winning pedigree that established the Premier outfit as a force to be reckoned with in the 1960s, ?70s, ?80s and early ?90s.

Lightbourne succeeded former team-mate Mark Wade at the end of last season, and he will quickly have to find a way to fill the voids left by the likes of Antwan and Tokia Russell who both joined Dandy Town and top defender Stanton Lewis who has rejoined Boulevard.

Zebras did not acquire any new players during the transfer period, leaving former English pro Lightbourne with limited resources to work with.

?You will definitely be seeing some of our under-18 players getting a bit more exposure (in the Premier Division) this year,? stated Mark Wade, standing in for the absent Lightbourne who is currently in the US Virgin Islands with the senior national team.

This will be the ninth year Zebras have played away from their home facilities in Warwick which has been under development since 1998.

Home venue: Southampton Oval

Coach: Kyle Lightbourne

New arrivals: none

Departed: Quincy Hunt, Philip Anderson, Tokia Russell, Antwan Russell, Rayki Emery, Stanton Lewis

2005-06 league position: Fifth

2005-06 honours: none

BOULEVARD

Apart from relegated Ireland Rangers and Devonshire Colts, no other Premier Division club struggled more than Boulevard last season.

And the disappearances of playmaker Melchisedec Gibbons and ?keeper Shejuan (Shabba) Swan certainly didn?t help their cause.

But while Blazers failed to strike fear in their opponents, they did unearth some promising young talent in forwards Ian Coke and Gregory Johnson and had inspirational skipper Shaki Crockwell return to the fold.

Coach Albert Smith stood down at the end of last season after falling out of favour, paving the way for John Rebello ? who hopes to reap success in his second coming ? to return to the hutch.

Gibbons, meanwhile, has seemingly had a change of heart and is expected to take his place in a Boulevard team that will also be reunited with top defender Stanton Lewis.

On a disappointing note, Blazers parted company with another talented youngster, Ajani Gibbons, who will now try his luck at nearby Devonshire Cougars this season.

?Basically we are looking to gain our respect back after going through a really bad patch last season,? Rebello told The Royal Gazette.

?We just want to build on last season and I think if we can string some wins together we can be competitive. It?s going to be a tough league, but we feel we are good enough to compete with the big boys.?

Home venue: BAA Field

Coach: John Rebello

New arrivals: John Rebello (coach), Stanton Lewis

Departed: Ajani Gibbons, Albert Caisey, Clinton Caisey, Devon Rogers

2005-06 league position: Sixth

2005-06 honours: None

PAGET

Lions finally made it to the big league last season.

But now they must prove they belong there.

The Ord Road club pulled off an excellent league and cup double five months ago under first-year coach Marvin Belboda who will be back for another bite at the cherry this campaign.

But they will have to dig even deeper if they are to make an impression in the top tier this season.

To their credit, Lions managed to pick up a few useful players in an effort to boost their ranks.

Coming onboard are Southampton Rangers? pair Travis Wilkinson and Kamen Tucker, ?keeper Quincy Hunt and Devonshire Colts? Thomas Brown to name a few.

However, Lions did part company with strikers Dion Stovell and Yusaff Pitt, ?keeper Michael Higgs and veteran sweeper Leroy Stevens during the off season.

?We will take the same approach as we did last year . . . put our strongest XI out on the pitch and take each game as it comes,? commented Paget president Mike Stovell.

Home venue: White Hill Field

Coach: Marvin Belboda

New arrivals: Quincy Hunt, Rayki Emery, Thomas Brown

Departed: Dion Stovell,Daniel Reece, Yusaff Pitt, Michael Higgs, Leroy Stevens

2005-06 league position: First Division champions

2005-06 honours: First Division Shield and championship

ST. DAVID?S

Local football fans will soon discover whether or not St.David?s are for real or even worthy of being called ?Warriors?.

And the Islanders will have to hit the ground running when they host Somerset Trojans at Lords in their 2006-07 season opener on Sunday.

On paper St.David?s? squad doesn?t contain any so-called star players ? though a few of their players might beg to differ.

But as many teams discovered last season, the Islanders? real strength lies in their ability to play hard as a unit, and not individually.

And it?s this unity the East Enders are banking on to help them to survive in the top flight this season without Trinidadian coach Wayne Henry who has taken up residency elsewhere.

The East Enders have yet to find a replacement for Henry, temporarily leaving coaching duties to be shared among some of the team?s senior members.

?We want to stay in the top flight this season and help promote football in St.David?s,? commented Warriors stalwart Aaron Lugo. ?That way other teams will take us more seriously.?

Home venue: Lords

Coach: None

New arrivals: Trevor Smith

Departed: Michael Simons, Daniel Stovell

2005-06 league position: First Division runners-up

2005-06 honours: Promotion