Eccleshill United return to action on Tuesday night after the Summer break. Playing National League North side Farsley Celtic. The Celts won promotion last season from the Evo-Stik Premier - finishing top of the league - three points clear of their nearest placed opposition in South Shields.
As for Eccleshill United, a reminder that the Eagles finished last season in tenth place - seven points away from ninth place, Knaresborough Town. Something which Lee Elam's side would like to push on from, and finish higher.
This will be the first game in Lee Elam's tenure as the manager, however, he will be missing the game sadly, as he is away. Therefore, Lee has called in Youth Development coach Asif Hussain and close-friend, Warren Rayner who will be taking the players through the game on Tuesday night. Asif who joined the club last week is a former Albion Sports defender and has a vast experience of the Nothern Counties East Football League. Rayner, on the other hand, is a former Bradford City midfielder - representing the club back in the '70s.
One thing Lee Elam, Warren Rayner and Asif Hussain all have in common - is the Pro Elite Academy link, and that is also something Farsley Celtic goalkeeper - Kyle Trenerry has in common. The Farsley goalkeeper is part of the coaching team in the Bradford-based academy. A key player too for Farsley Celtic, as the ex-Halifax Town goalkeeper made twenty clean sheets for the Celts last season.
The last time these two teams met was last season, also in a pre-season friendly - the game finishing 3-1 to Farsley. Celts opened the scoring in that game after nineteen minutes. But it took all the way to the seventy-eighth minute for Farsley to double their lead, this was then cut back five minutes later when Levi Maturine was played in on the halfway line by Luke Harrop, and the winger stayed composed to slot past the keeper. But any late revival from the Eagles was tarnished in the last minute when Farsley scored a third.