Hearts and Haws will be up there from start of the new season

Indeed, East Super League champions Kelty Hearts’ unit shows several changes, while for the first time in 40 years Hill of Beath Hawthorn will have a new man at the helm.

Elsewhere three sides are committed to challenging for title honours and another will be seeking a vast improvement.

CHAMPIONS of the East Super League, Kelty Hearts, will be the team everyone wants to down this coming season but player/boss Thomas Courts is ready to mount a challenge to successfully defend the title.

With some of last season’s squad retiring, in the shape of Roger Duffin and Sean Grady, and Paul Shields, Steve Manson, Gary Greenhill and Scott Lawrie leaving for pastures new, he has moved swiftly to fill the gaps by bringing in eight players.

They are Murray Carstairs, a centre-back from Dundonald Bluebell; Devon Jacobs, a defender from Berwick Rangers; striker Calum Smith, from Linlithgow Rose; midfielder Scott Gates from Lochee United; former Dunfermline Athletic player, Stephen Husband, from Forfar Athletic; Josh Morris from Vale of Leven; and Josh McPhie.

Thomas said, “We have lost real characters in our dressing room through retiral but these things happen and I feel we have brought the right quality of replacements in.

“Clearly this is going to be a completely different season coming up as we will be the defending champions, and it is uncharted territory but it will be one we will be looking forward to it.

“We also have the senior Scottish Cup to look forward to which is again uncharted territory so it is going to be an exciting time for the club as we will also have our new astroturf pitch at Central Park.

“It will mean us not having any home games in the first six weeks or so of the season while the pitch work is completed but that is something we can deal with.” TIMES PREDICTION: Hearts will slog it out with the likes of Boness and Linlithgow for the title and it could go right to the wire, and watch out for them causing a shock in the early rounds of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

HILL of Beath Hawthorn will have a new boss in the dug-out for this season in the shape of Bobby Wilson, who has been with the club most of his time in the game.

Bobby was a member of the squad which won the Scottish OVD Cup in 1990 and he has been long serving manager Jock Finlayson’s assistant for many years.

Last term Haws were a bit inconsistent and finished in mid-table so he is looking for a big improvement this season and competing at the top end of the East Super League table.

Haws have a young squad which at times showed really good form, the sort of which saw them win the East of Scotland Cup, and he is looking for more of that.

Three new players have come in, including centre-back Colin Wilson from Bonnyrigg Rose, goalkeeper Rory Mooney and left-sided man Brian Breen.

“It was a bit frustrating last season for we played a lot of good stuff but did not convert it into goals in some games,” he said.

“We maybe could have had a dozen more points so we will have to look to be more consistent this season.

“Our aim has to be competing in the top half of the table and it would be good to have an extended run in the Scottish Junior Cup if we can.

“The lads have been looking good in training so hopefully we can take that into our matches.” TIMES PREDICTION: Haws will show consistency and will finish in the top five of the Super League plus watch out for a good long Junior Cup run.

DUNDONALD Bluebell were unlucky not to make the East Premier League play-offs so player/boss Craig Morrison is keen to see his team make a good start and challenge for the two automatic promotion places.

He has seen three of last term’s squad leave, with Murray Carstairs going to Kelty and Tommy Carr heading for Thornton Hibs and Bradley Grieve also leaving.

So coming in are midfielder/striker Scott Lawrie from Kelty, striker Ben Anthony from Hill of Beath and midfielder Liam Rolland from the club’s 19s and he is still looking for a couple of players.

“We started our pre-season work early and the lads are looking very sharp,” he said.

“Looking at the 16 clubs that will be in the Division this season there will be many who will see themselves as contenders so it is going to be very competitive.

“We will be looking to make a good start and take it from there. We have to look to finish in the top two if we can because the Super League is where we want to be.

“The injuries we suffered late in the season last time around was unbelievable so hopefully we can avoid these this time.” With Dundonald 21s now working with the club he sees them providing handy back-up to the squad if injury problems do strike.

TIMES PREDICTION: Dundonald will win promotion to the East Super League and could win one of the three cup competitions.

LOCHGELLY were always looking last season like a top half side but drew too many games and never really threatened the South Division leaders.

However, they were among the best sides in the league which they showed when they thrashed champions Haddington at Gardiner’s Park.

Now the Berts are aiming to be up there from the start this term and having retained all of last season’s line-up minus veterans Andy Barratt and Lenny Wilson who have retired, and they have added several players which they feel can see them get their aim of the Premier League.

Incoming are striker Stephen Bathgate, the former Kelty and Haws striker; Scott Murray, the Burntisland Shipyard pivot; Kirkaldy YM’s Ryan Robertson; midfielder Calum Wylie and left sided full-back or midfielder, Keiron Dowie.

Albert chairman Jock Kinnell believes his side can make a real go of winning promotion, “Too many draws were or achilles heal last season.

“Had we won half of the nine square games it would have made a big difference, but we gave away a few silly goals and missed chances last term and our aim is to change that this season.

“I think we can make a real impact on the South Division and our new acquisitions can play a big part in this.” TIMES PREDICTION: Albert will challenge for the top two slots and at Gardiner’s Park will be really hard to beat, which could see a couple of really good cup runs, given decent draws.

LOCHORE Welfare will again be in the North Division but their aim is to be playing East Premier League football next season.

The Welfare got off to a horrid start last season and were at the bottom for a spell but the arrival of Lee Dair and John Cusick as manager and coach turned things around and by the second-half of the season they were a difficult team to play against.

A string of decent results saw them climb out of the bottom two and they were a match for anyone in the run-in.

Lee and John aim to strengthen the squad for this season’s North Division quest and they are hopeful of putting real pressure on the likes of pre-season favourites.

They will be securing six new players this week who can make that key diufference.

Said John, “Consistency will be key to our hopes but will bring in some good players to get that” .

TIMES PREDICTION: Welfare will be in the top four all season and if they can achieve the consistency they crave could make the top two.

CROSSGATES Primrose finished bottom of the South Division last season but in reality getting to the end of the campaign was a victory.

For at one stage there was concern expressed by manager Dave McNeeley that unless more people came forward to help the club at committee level it could fold.

The manager’s pleas did not fall on deaf ears and people have offered assistance and the 2015-2016 season looks a lot brighter already.

While they have lost experienced Kevin Brown to Oakley United and midfielder John Duffy to Rosyth the Humbug Parkers have brought in a raft of new players to boost their hopes and although very young can look to greatly improve on last term.

TIMES PREDICTION: Better days ahead for Crossgates and a mid-table slot is not beyond them given a fair number of breaks.