gear tomorrow with four matches each in the First and Second Divisions.

Form team North Village, who meet Hamilton Parish, are hoping their success in the Dudley Eve will carry over as they look to end a two-decade wait for a league title. Coach Kenny Thompson says 20 years is "too long'' for a club like North Village to wait for a championship.

"At Somerset, we had the spirit and determination to win trophies, even sometimes when the chips were down,'' said Thompson after Sunday's Dudley Eve win over Dandy Town.

"That wasn't so evident coming to Village, not just as a coach now but even when I came here to play. The players had a laid-back attitude towards winning, but hopefully now with the taste of winning a championship they will want to move on to better things.

"We make no secret that the league championship is our number one priority.

This organisation has and has always had some very talented players coming through and a 20-year drought is too long.'' Thompson's presence on the field proved significant to Village's success in the Dudley Eve, but he is likely to return to the bench once missing players return. However, goalkeeper Dwayne (Streaker) Adams will be absent, having returned to school abroad.

Parish, who ended the first half of the season with their first victory, over Southampton Rangers, are also hoping 1999 brings a change of fortune.

Goalkeeper Nigel Burgess played a key role in their first win of the season when he made his debut against Rangers. But he, too, has returned to school so Cymande Davis, who scored the goal against Rangers as an outfield player, will return between the posts.

Winger Irving Burgess is carrying a leg injury and will also be missing from the Peppers line-up.

Club officlals have boosted their coaching by drafting in president Marcus Douglas and Alton Caisey to lend support to coach Ricky Hill.

"Marcus is going to be working with Ricky and Alton Caisey,'' treasurer Shannon Place confirmed yesterday.

"We just felt it was a bit too much for Ricky to do the whole programme by himself. We have every faith in the team now that we have boosted the coaching. We want to give Ricky the support he needs.'' Parish face a long road trying to escape relegation and if they succeed, it will be one of the greatest ever escapes. Certainly, they will need to win matches early in the second half of the season.

Village are currently tied on 19 points with defending champions Vasco and could find themselves in sole possession of first place if Vasco drop points against third-placed Dandy Town in the day's top match at St. John's Field.

Vasco remain the only team in the First Division without a loss in the league.

However, coach John Rebello may not be totally satisfied with the way the team has been playing, having returned three of the trophies the team won last year -- league, FA and Friendship -- to the BFA office. He is hoping that will motivate his players to want to defend them. The fourth, the Dudley Eve, already has a new home.

Tomorrow's remaining matches involve other teams facing the threat of relegation. Devonshire Colts, sixth in the standings, face second-from-bottom Boulevard at White Hill Field while seventh-placed Somerset Trojans are at home to promoted Wolves who have climbed to fourth in the standings.

Wolves began their campaign with a win over the Trojans and Somerset are planning an unhappy return for their former captain Dennis Brown who is now the Wolves coach.