Champions HMH aim to do even better

Yallatasary won last season's Peter Morrison Trophy and believe they win this year's Premier Division title. Photo Georgia Rosenberg[Missing Credit]

Another side believing they can win the division are Yallatasary. They won the Division One title two seasons ago and followed that up last season by lifting the Jewish FA Cup, otherwise known as the Peter Morrison Trophy.

Confident of what they can achieve this year, manager Buddy Smith says: “There is an outright belief shared amongst myself, the coaching staff and the players that we are capable of winning this League. We have the capacity to compete on every front this year which is pivotal considering the competition looks full of numerous strong outfits. But as always, there’s a lot of expectation and pressure – especially after winning the Peter Morrison – to deliver silverware this year.”

With that mentality flowing through the ranks, he continues: “Preparation has gone relatively well. I’d love to be a few weeks further ahead of schedule, but injury and holiday has ruled that out for us, nevertheless we’ve had some good pre-season games and sessions.

“I couldn’t be more confident in this squad with the additions we’ve made; so many of the boys who weren’t starting last year have had excellent individual pre-seasons so I’m going to have a selection headache which is a privileged position to find myself in.

“I really back this group.”

Sukkotingham Forest are hoping to make an impression in their first season in the top flight having secured a league and cup treble last season. Photo Georgia Rosenberg[Missing Credit]

Suffering at the end of last season with injuries, he has supplemented the squad with the signings of Oscar Simmons, Zack Gluckstein, Solly Jacobs, Josh Woolf, Ben Masson and Harry Cohen, all of whom Smith says “are fantastic additions”. He adds: “I’m expecting a big impact from them all.”

Looking ahead to the campaign, he adds: “The boys know the expectation I have for the season. Without putting too much pressure on us, we have set the bar high and I’ve reminded my group that we are starting this season defending the biggest trophy there is for a team to win at Jewish level. We will definitely bring excitement, passion and character to the League and I can’t wait to get started again.”

Sukkotingham Forest come into the new season on the back of back-to-back titles though manager Sam Nagioff, who knows it will be an extremely hard challenge to complete a hat-trick of championships.

He says: “We finally enter the Premier Division, which will be a much tougher challenge. Our current aims are a top-four finish, which after a successful transfer window I believe is definitely feasible.”

Morale is high in the squad, where he says, “a positive pre-season working on strengthen weaknesses has shown in performances and results”.

Citing Ruben Wapnick as a player opponents should be “afraid of”, he adds: “Our football brings goals, 245 goals scored in the last two seasons bringing great value for the neutral. A successful season would see a good cup run and maybe a trophy and top half-finish.”

Hendon United go into the season without a manager, though ambition hasn’t been lowered. Avi Korman says: “Success would be winning the Premier Division title and a minimum of one other Cup win.”

As well as losing their manager Alex Rosenthal, they have also had to contend with a difficult pre-season. Korman says: “Family and holiday commitments have contributed to an interrupted build-up, but our squad have been completing personalised warm weather training camp fitness regimes, to ensure we start the season on fire.”

Noting that Chaim Korman will be a player to look out for, he says: “Chaim has been reinvigorated after a storming second half of last season, and back to his silky best. Akiva Restan could easily be the Young Player of The Year, too. He’s been simply outstanding since his arrival at Hendon.”

Geez Park Rangers, Stopinsky and Stoke Salmon complete the line-up.