Welcome to the build up for season 2012-13. The constitution for the Premier Division has not been formally ratified yet but it would be a real shock if it were to be other than:

Ash United, Badshot Lea, Bedfont Sports, Camberley Town, Chessington & Hook United, Colliers Wood United, Cove, Croydon, Dorking, EGHAM TOWN, Epsom & Ewell, Farnham Town, Guernsey, Hanworth Villa, Hartley Wintney, Horley Town, Molesey, Raynes Park Vale, Sandhurst Town, South Park, Wembley, Windsor.

If the promotion race would not be difficult enough with last season's line-up we have to face the extra might of Guernsey, whose elevation from Step 5 would seem already to be in doubt if rumours from the tail end of the last campaign are worth anything. Bedfont Sports will be a tough local derby and of course Windsor are already installed as promotion challengers given their all round excellence last season and their sizeable crowds at Stag Meadow. What we do know for sure is that the Egham Town management team of John Hamsher, Wayne Noad and Colin Bartholomew will be working hard to get us in the mix for promotion. We will have two sides in the Surrey Youth League, and be hopeful that they can emulate the marvellous success of last season as Colin, and John Cane led them to the Central League title and winning the League Cup. Wembley have caught they eye in recent weeks with the likes of Claudio Caniggia, Martin Keown, Graeme Le Saux, Brian McBride and David Seaman all fetching up at Vale Farm for an assault on the Budweiser sponsored FA Cup. To say opinions have been sharply divided would be an understatement, but our former custodian Lee Pearce has been manning the defences wholeheartedly on the Non-League forum.

In Division One there are some familiar faces from the Premier Division, some regulars and some new names:

AFC Croydon Athletic, Banstead Athletic, CB Hounslow United, Cobham, Epsom Athletic, Eversley, Farleigh Rovers, Feltham, Frimley Green, Knaphill, Mole Valley SCR, Sheerwater, South Kilburn, Spelthorne Sports, Staines Lammas, Warlingham, Westfield, Worcester Park.
AFC Croydon Athletic have risen from the ashes of the Croydon Athletic side that crashed and burned in the wake of the cricket spot-fixing scandal and will play at Croydon's Sports Arena. Banstead Athletic's relegation is a real pain for us; our magnificent run of results at Merland Rise is at least interrupted. Epsom Athletic, Champions of the Surrey Elite League, will be playing at Chessington's ground, which may be interesting given that stadium's recent history of postponements. Eversley have a new suffix of “& California” in the League Cup draw, the amended moniker reflecting the merge of the senior club with a local youth set-up. This is the division from which two sides have their names in the League Cup hat as our opposition. Warlingham Town came 4th in Division One, behind Guernsey, Bedfont Sports and Hartley Wintney. They also won the Division One Cup. Warlingham play at Whyteleafe FC, a ground with less than good memories for us, but we're not playing the ground. The winners may be looking at an early kick off as there are no lights at Sheerwater.

EL RECORDS PREMIER CHALLENGE CUP 2012-2013

ROUND ONE

South Kilburn v Ash United
Hanworth Villa v Hartley Wintney
Warlingham v EGHAM TOWN
Farnham v Epsom & Ewell
Windsor v Colliers Wood United
Croydon v Epsom Athletic
Dorking v Banstead Athletic
Wembley v Frimley Green

ROUND TWO

Dorking or Banstead Athletic v Hanworth Villa or Hartley Wintney
Croydon or Epsom Athletic v Worcester Park
Eversley & California v AFC Croydon Athletic
Wembley or Frimley Green v South Kilburn or Ash United
Bedfont Sports v Farnham Town v Epsom & Ewell
Raynes Park Vale v Westfield
Knaphill v Mole Valley SCR
Horley Town v Farleigh Rovers
Windsor or Colliers Wood United v South Park
Spelthorne Sports v Badshot Lea
Sheerwater v Warlingham or EGHAM TOWN
CB Hounslow United v Sandhurst Town
Guernsey v Feltham
Staines Lammas v Molesey
Camberley Town v Cobham
Chessington & Hook United v Cove

Mark