NEW Wroughton boss Kevin Cook says his reigning Wilts Premier Division champions will not be resting on their laurels when the new season kicks off.

Last season Cook was assistant manager to Mark Love as the pair guided Wroughton to the title ahead of Westbury United.

Love and several of last season’s Wroughton side have since moved on to pastures new at Shrivenham leaving Cook in the Weir Field hot seat.

But Cook insists that his side remain hungrier than ever to retain the title.

“We won the league last season and the manager went on to try his hand at a higher level,” said Cook. “We will soldier on and although we have lost a few players, we have replaced them and I believe we have just as good a footballing side as we did last year.

“We’ve won the league now but that does not mean we are any less hungry to win it again. If anything winning the title makes you want to repeat that success even more so.”

While the club has lost the likes of goalkeeper Curtis Sharkey to Highworth, Cook says he will be relying on the experience of the current first team squad to drive their season forward.

Ex-Swindon Town youngster Daniel Jell comes in to replace Sharkey after Cook has persuaded him to be get his boots on again after a four-year break from football.

The club’s youth set-up will also have a major part to play in Wroughton’s season according to Cook.

“Bobby Moore, from the youth set-up here, is my co-manager,” added Cook. “He will help me call upon some of the talented youth we have at the club.

As far as Wroughton’s rivals for the title, Cook has picked out Purton as potential challengers.

He added: “Purton have changed their side a bit and I think they could do really well this season. I expect Westbury and Trowbridge to be strong too but all in all you don’t really know who has really strengthened until the season starts so I guess we will see.

Purton and their new boss Stef Kuczynski believe they can turn around the club’s recent poor fortunes in the division.

Kuczynski, who took over at Purton in the summer following the demise of his previous club Aldbourne, said: “I can’t be sentimental about the Aldbourne situation, it’s happened and this is a new challenge “No disrespect to the previous managers but I think Purton have finished at the bottom end of the table for the last 10 years. I believe we can turn it around.

“We ‘ve got a good mix of youth and experienced players.

“We’ve got the ‘oldies’ in Rick and Mick Casey and young talent like Ashley Gooch and Craig Hogg.”

Kuczynski is also hoping the prospect of Hellenic League football with the first team at Purton will be an added incentive.

“Obviously the aim for all the youngsters here should be to play for the first team,” added Kuczynski. “There is enough potential here for the first team manager Chris Pethick to call on if he needs to and I know he is already looking at a few of my players.”

Elsewhere, New College should be there or there abouts and the likes of Westbury United, Calne Town, Corsham and Devizes are all expected to be strong.

  • LAST year’s runaway Wilts One champions Minety are there to be shot at, according to their boss Albert Dearing.

Minety convincingly won the league by 18 points last season and Dearing accepts the campaign was a ‘one-off’ and expects the likes of KC FC and Malmesbury Vics to push them all the way this term.

“Everyone will be gunning for us, we know that,” said Dearing. “We will probably never have a season like that again, it was a one-off really.

“We have lost five or six players but we have replaced like for like I’d say. But we have a lot of bedding in to do.

“I think the division will be tighter – certainly KC’s will be very strong and if I had to put a fiver on anyone I’d put it on them. Malmesbury Vics have practically two first teams so they will be strong too.”

KC FC are another side with eyes set on back-to-back league titles.

Last season’s Division Two champions and Fountain Trophies winners have strengthened ahead of their Division One campaign with co-founder and chairman John Slattery claiming enjoying their football is the key to the club’s success so far.

“To be honest we feel exactly the same as last year, we are just all playing to enjoy our football,” said Slattery. “I think that’s the key to our success. We are a group of players who are playing just for fun and I think that’s why we did so well last season.”

Away from the fun, Slattery claims that all eyes are again on a league and cup double.

“We won the league and the cup last season and that’s our aim again. I think we will be up there or there abouts again.

“We have strengthened again by signing the likes of Danny Mason and Johnny Wilkes has made his services more readily available .

“Our key men will be Dave Slattery, Danny Conway and Krystof Maskalaniec plus we expect to add one more key signing and possibly a few others.”

Slattery also revealed the club has aspirations to play at the highest level possible, adding: “In the back of our minds we want to play in the Premier Division and possibly higher. There may be some plans in the pipeline for the not too distant future and maybe one day KC’s will be playing as high as the Hellenic League or higher.”

Malmesbury Vics are expected to be strong contenders, having the luxury of grabbing players from the club’s 40-plus Hellenic League squad and promoted Intel could provide a few shocks.

  • CHISELDON may have dropped down a couple of divisions but new boss James Lovell wants to take the club to the highest level possible.

Following ex-boss Chokri Kartit’s departure to Hellenic League Cirencester United, Chiseldon were left in the mire and in need of restructuring.

Lovell has taken on the managerial reins and claims the Wilts Division Two club already has the structure in place for Hellenic League football.

“We’ve basically had to start from scratch after Chokri left us last season,” said Lovell. “We decided to drop down two divisions, totally restructure the club and start again.

“We have a good committee in place and a good squad capable of doing something this season.

“We could have stayed in the Premier but we decided against it. Now the aim is to challenge for promotion and maybe the title and get up to Division One or the Premier as soon as possible.

“I’ve signed experienced players like Sam Bailey and we have youngsters like Paul Farrell and Brent Evans. We have a good mix, we can do well.

“It’s a bit of a mixed bag in Two though. You never know what teams will be like.”

Last season’s strugglers Blunsdon Reserves are hoping to turn their fortunes around with boss Paul Jones confident of a better season.

Jones said: “It was a struggle last season and a very disappointing season for both sides. Both teams should be stronger this season and we are looking forward to it.”

FC Chippenham Reserves are a new addition to the division and are expected to be a young and fit outfit. They are joined by newcomers Byrons Wanderers, Castle Combe Reserves, Greenmeadow, Moredon Cheney, Pembroke, Ramsbury and Wilton Town.