There will be some mighty clashes between local football teams in this season's Northern Senior League – eight Forest sides are lined up in the two divisions!

The action will start sooner than anticipated as in the draw for the Forest Green Rovers League Cup Trophy all eight teams have been drawn to play each other.

And a lot of attention will be paid to Broadwell – they play Harrow Hill in a trophy match on August 9 – after they slipped out of the County League last season.

It was a double blow for the club as dropping down to the Northern Senior League also meant demotion for the Second X1 and no club is allowed to have two sides in the same division.

But the message from Broadwell is loud and clear. They have every intention of jumping straight back into the County League.

Club spokesman Gary Baynham-Jones said there had never been such great enthusiasm.

"There is tremendous interest. There is a new committee, a lot of new players and a real determination to return to the County League," he said.

Operating under the guidance of new chairman Ken Turner the club's First team coaches are Roddy Gordon and Paul Ennis. Terry Pudge has been joined by a new assistant coach to organise the Second X1 and Gary Powell and Martin Adams will run the Third X1.

In the close season £1,000 has been spent to improve drainage on the ground and now all eyes are on the players who will carry the club's colours for the new campaign.

"We have lost a couple but gained around 12. There are some very promising youngsters and the rebuilding work which has been taking place over a couple of seasons could well pay off this time. The aim is to bounce straight back to the County League," said Baynham-Jones.

Players have been working hard in pre-season training and the signs from friendly matches have been encouraging.

Cinderford Town won 4-0 in the first of the friendly games but it was a result from which Broadwell took much encouragement.

They have deliberately organised their friendlies against teams from higher leagues as part of the plan to be up to pace and fit for the opening league encounters.

Following the Cinderford defeat – which also raised funds for the Coombs Residential Home mini-bus appeal – Broadwell went down 2-1 to Hellenic League side Ross Town.

County League team Almondsbury provided the most recent opposition and Gloucester City will be the visitors this Wednesday evening.