ITS PETES PATISSERIE THIS SEASON

Almost exhausted after the thrills of last week's FA Cup, the real football season begins. Leagues all over the country are looking to confirm that their pre-season training, friendly matches and new signings are going to bring about success.

I would be watching Hepworth United as they enter a new phase in their history, leaving their reserves to play in the Huddersfield and District League whilst the first team moves on up the pyramid to Step 7 (level 11) and into the Sheffield and Hallamshire County senior League. BUT I am off to Oakwell to watch Derby County in the first league game.

The League founded only in 1983 has 4 divisions and 52 teams. Hepworth join the Division 2 (North) and will take on South Kirby Colliery FC tomorrow, the other team that is located just outside the South Yorkshire boundary. Other opposition includes Stocksbridge Park Steels FC Development FC and Dodworth Miners Welfare. A number of clubs have colliery origins, which makes sense since this is the South Yorkshire coalfield.

The winners of the Premier Division in this league (two promotions for Hepworth) will have the opportunity to play in Northern Counties East League (Step 6), meeting AFC Penistone, the reserve side of Penistone Church FC.

The S&Hallamshire is made up from the Hatchard (originally founded as the Sheffield Alliance in 1892) and Sheffield Association (1877) leagues. The Hatchard was disbanded in 1923 and then reformed after the war whilst the "Association" was renamed Sheffield and Hallamshire in 1960. They combined in 1983.

Both leagues have had "teams" from major league local clubs competing in them, for eample Barnsley St Peters (1890-95), the original Barnsley FC club.  There is also Doncaster Rovers (1894-5), Chesterfield Town (1891-5) and Sheffield FC. Later in 1897 reserve sides from Sheffield Utd and Wednesday, Barnsley and Rotherham Town joined in.

If you look closely at the league badge, you can see that the sponsor is Pete's Patisserie, if you haven't gathered that already. Let's hope Hepworth get a decent slice of the cake.