THE LOCAL football season in Barnsley begins on Friday night with a derby between Athersley Rec and Worsbrough Bridge.
The Northern Counties East League Division One game is due to take place at Sheerien Park from 7.45pm.
Both clubs finished in lower mid-table last season and are hoping for more this time.
Worsbrough manager Lee Morris said: “We start with a big Barnsley derby which is always a good start.
“You always want to start with three points and against local rivals would make it even sweeter.
“Since Clarky (Rec manager Paul Clarkson) has gone in as manager, he’s done a good job.
“They will be looking to build on how they finished last season, like we will.
“It’s a great opening game.
“I hope there are a lot of fans there from both clubs.
“Friday night games benefit every club with bigger crowds.”
Rec boss Clarkson added: “It would be a great start to the season if we can beat Worsbrough.
“It would kick-start momentum and give us a great feeling going into the next games.
“We’d love nothing more.
“It should be a very good game, hopefully in front of a big crowd.
“Me and Lee get on really well.
“I still coach the local pub he used to play for. He’s a good coach who sets his teams up really really well.
“There should be some good derbies this season and there will be a little Barnsley table within a table.”
Rec were relegated from the Premier Division in 2022 then finished bottom of Division One a year later but were spared by a restructuring of the leagues.
Last season they were in relegation trouble again but Clarkson took over and eventually took them to 18th, a position they are hoping to better this time.
Clarkson said: “We’ve had a good pre-season. We have a lot of new faces, a lot of young lads that we have fetched in because we have an under 21s team this season.
“We want to build and kick on from last season and to be looking above, not below.
“Finishing 14th or 15th would be good but you never know where momentum can take you.
“We will have tough times, exciting times and successful times.
“But we just want to enjoy it.
“It’s a three to five year project.
“We probably can’t get promoted on the budget we’ve got but we’re working with young players and stranger things have happened.”
Worsbrough boss Morris led the Briggers to seventh in his first spell in charge then returned last year and guided them away from relegation trouble before they ended up 15th for the second successive campaign.
Morris said: “I have had loads of people messaging saying I will do well to keep Worsbrough in the league this season with all the money being thrown around.
“Clubs are splashing the cash.
“But I always have high expectations. I want at least top ten.
“We’ve had a good pre-season.
“We lost four or five players but that was inevitable.
“We recruited really well.
“We want to build on how we ended last season.”
Worsbrough have been in the NCEL for decades and were previously the only Barnsley side.
But, in the last decade, they have been overtaken by Penistone Church, Shaw Lane Aquaforce – who have since folded – and Athersley Rec, who dropped back into Division One.
Ambitious clubs Wombwell Town and Dearne and District have joined Division One in the last two seasons.
Morris said: “There will always be teams coming up like Dearne and Wombwell who are only a few years old. We need to keep pace. We might not be able to do that money-wise but we want to give a good account of ourselves.”
Athersley also visit Yorkshire Amateur on Tuesday then Worsbrough host Brigg Town on Wednesday.
