City in positive mood ahead of new season

Source: This Is Cornwall 14th June 2012.

TRURO City now know the teams they will be lining up against in their second season of Blue Square Bet South football with seemingly an end to their well publicised financial problems in sight,
The league line-up was decided at Saturday's annual meeting of the Conference, held at Celtic Manor, near Newport.

New opponents for City will be Essex sides, Billericay Town winners of the Ryman League's premier division and runners-up AFC Hornchurch, who went up via the play-offs.

Nearer to home are Bath City, who were relegated from the Premier Division of the Conference, as were Hayes and Yeading, who play their home games at Woking.

Maidenhead Utd should have been relegated, but had a reprieve after the demise of Darlington and Kettering because of financial problems.

The new league season begins on Saturday August 18 and City will be hoping for a home start, after having to travel to Chelmsford last year for the opening match of their first campaign at this level.

The fixtures are due to be released on Monday July 2.

With the club still under a transfer embargo because of its well publicised financial problems the club has not yet been able to announce signings for the new campaign.

However, it is understood that the situation is expected to be resolved by tomorrow's deadline for payment to the players, with the winding-up order sought by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, in respect of more than £50,000 of unpaid tax, also thought to have been settled in advance of the hearing on Monday week.

And City boss Lee Hodges is confident of assembling a "competitive squad" within the club's budgetary constraints.

He said: "There will no doubt be a few comings and goings, but that is what happens at every football club, but I am looking forward to it."

The club have arranged a number of friendlies, including one against Plymouth Argyle at Treyew Road on Tuesday July 24.

City's first friendly is at Carlsberg SWPL premier division St Austell on Friday July 13, with a trip to play Bideford Town on Saturday July 21. Other games include: Saturday July 28: Falmouth Town (h) and Saturday August 4: Tiverton Town (a).

But Lee Hodges is also looking for an extra game at home on the weekend of Friday August 10 to Sunday August 12 and any teams interested should contact him on 07979 993218.

Pre-season training is set to start at the beginning of July.

Club secretary Mark Woolcock said that volunteers had been working hard on the pitch to get it in pristine shape for the start of the new season.

He said: "We want to get back to being a community club. It is not all about the first team, though they are our flagship."

The club will also have new kit sponsors for what they will be hoping will be a smoother season on and off the pitch.

BLUE SQUARE BET SOUTH line-up 2012/13: AFC Hornchurch (promoted from step 3 feeder leagues); Basingstoke Town; Bath City (relegated from Blue Square Bet Premier); Billericay Town (promoted from step 3 feeder leagues); Boreham Wood; Bromley; Chelmsford City; Dorchester Town; Dover Ath; Eastbourne Borough; Eastleigh; Farnborough; Havant & Waterlooville; Hayes & Yeading United (relegated from Blue Square Bet Premier); Maidenhead United (reprieved from relegation); Salisbury City; Staines Town; Sutton United; Tonbridge Angels; Truro City; Welling United and Weston-super-Mare.